Lakeland Words / A Collection of Dialect Words and Phrases as Used in Cumberland and Westmorland, with Illustrative Sentences in the North Westmorland Dialect

by Bryham Kirkby

SWEG—Swallow. Sweg as mich kurn’d milk inta thi as thoo can hod.

SWELTRY—Close, warm, moist.

SWEY—Weigh butter an’ chow cheese. A pund o’ mair weight. Heighow fer t’ days when we used ta swey on a plank.

SWIPE—Sup hurriedly. Swipe ’t up an’ hev anudder.

SWARF’T—Swooned. She swarf’t reet away when they telt her.

SWARTH, SWARTHY—A body at’s bin badly an’ it’s gian hard wi’ them an’ they come oot thin an’ ghost-like is said to be a swarth. Dark sallow complexion is swarthy.

SWATH—Bacon rind. A swath on ’t like leddur.

SWEET MILK—Pleasure. Noo it izzant o sweet milk fer fooak ’at’s plenty o’ brass.

SWINGE, SWIDDER, SWIZZEN—Singed with fire.

SWYPES-A game like skittles.