A Guide to Understanding Broad Norfolk
Published date: September 2020

The Norfolk dialect which is also known as Broad Norfolk has some fantastic words and phrases unique to this part of the country. Norfolk folk can get a little cross when people try and imitate their accents, often talking more like someone from the west country rather than someone who is Norfolk born and bred!
The following is a simple guide for those visiting Norfolk, so that you can familiarise yourself with some typical words and phrases that may be heard when in the county.
Some must-learn phrases for when in Norfolk:
‘Oid rarely loike a bear’ – ‘A pint of your finest beer please old chap’.
‘Oh dare, oi hit a dare’ – ‘Unfortunately I seem to have hit a deer with my motor vehicle’.
‘Keep yew a troshin, moined ow yew gooo’ – ‘Look after yourself’.
‘Bor, thassa lud a ole squit’ – ‘Fellow, what you have just said is a load of nonsense’
‘Afta a fooo bears I wuz on the huh’ - ‘Too many beers left me feeling awry’.
‘I driv all way a Cromer an on way back tha snew’ –‘ I drove my motor vehicle all the way to Cromer and on the way back it snowed’.
‘Come yew hair, a’yer got a light boi?’ – ‘Would you mind coming here so I could trouble you for a match to light my cigarette?’
‘Ar yer orrite bor?’ ‘Hello, how are you?’
‘Co ter heck, thass a rum un’ – ‘My goodness! How very strange!’
Norfolk vowels dictate that a bear and a beer sound the same. The same goes for pear, pair and pier. For example, ‘I ate a pear on Cromer pear, followed by a pint of bear whilst holding my granddaughter’s teddy bear’.
Some fascinating Norfolk dialect words and their meanings:
Bishy-barney-bee - ladybird
Botty - fussy
Brawk - to belch loudly
Chimley - chimney
Coshies and cushies - sweets
Cuckoo - cocoa
Erriwiggle - earwig
Floater/swimmer - Norfolk dumplings
Furriner - someone who is not from Norfolk but from furrin (foreign) parts
Haller - to shout loudly
Hedge Betty - hedge sparrow
Hold yew hard - hang on a moment/listen a moment
Mardle - to chat/gossip
Mawkin - scarecrow
Mawther - woman or girl
Muckwash - sweat profusely
Old Year’s Night - New Year’s Eve
Pingle - to play with one’s food
Pollywiggle - tadpole
Sluss and slusspot - alcoholic beverage and someone who drinks too much
Smur – drizzle/fine rain
Squit - nonsense
Stewkey blews - cockles with a blue hue that are caught at Stiffkey
Titty-totty - something that is very small
Yisty - yesterday
If you would like to learn more about the Norfolk dialect, the following website has a wealth of interesting information:

Cromer Pier

A day out at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse

Snowdrops in Norfolk - where to see them

Arts and Crafts in Norfolk

Broadland Cycle Hire

A Day Out in Cromer

Wroxham Barns

The North Norfolk Coast

Letheringsett Watermill

Norfolk Fishing Trips and Charter

Some of the Best Hotels in North Norfolk

Dog Friendly Beaches in Norfolk

The Shell Museum
