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Been in Bristol since 75. Burton Joyce from 64.   Weeding in back garden thinking about god knows what when "Y'aright serry?" suddenly popped into my head. Always assumed it was a corruption

My step-dad and his relatives lived in Eastwood and "Serry", "faitin'" and "scraitin'" were everyday words to them. "She said ...", became "Ow sed", and trees were "trays". They had brilliant nick-n

Origin of "Serry" Derived from late Middle Ages "Sirrah" a form of address between men of equal rank. Used a lot in Shakespeare's plays for instance. I often heard "sedge" and "serreh" in the 50s.

Although I'm Nottingham dyed in the wool, Sirree or sorrie tends towards Eastwood, where I often hear it. I cannot say I often heard it in Nottingham city.

Marrer is definitely a Durham miner's word. The coal cutters had to have someone close to them to clear the coal into the wagons, but also if their light went out, or if there was any other difficulty like a collapse, the marrer was a lifeline.

Its not surprising that the word migrated as there were many Durham miners who went to the megapits of the South Yorks, Derbyshire and Notts coalfields.

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  • 4 months later...

Origin of "Serry"

Derived from late Middle Ages "Sirrah" a form of address between men of equal rank. Used a lot in Shakespeare's plays for instance.

I often heard "sedge" and "serreh" in the 50s.

West of Nottingham mainly and once in Hucknall I heard it as "Sorry" from a certain Mick the Pidge at the NCB workshop in Bestwood village where I worked for 18 months in the late 60s. That place was a mine (almost literally!) of local dialect. Mick once referred to seeing a friend crossing a nearby railway bridge as "Aaah, ah lit on 'im as ee wuh crossin' oer t'bridge."

Sadly these old forms of speech have now all but disappeared although here in Krakow, Poland where I now live I am often asked to repeat my entire repertoire of "Notts Speak" to the general mirth of the University English department.

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I got called something I haven't heard for years the other day. 'Marrer'. I was told it is a Bulwell/Hucknall word meaning the same sort of thing as Serry.

"Marrer" is "mate" in Geordie dialect. Probably imported by miners from Newcasltle coming to work in the Notts coalfield.

What about "It semt to me uzit wont jonuk"?

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"Are yulreet sorry"? A greeting from my mates dad who was a dreysman for Hardy & Hansons, Kimberly Ales. A few guys at the Gun Factory in the 50's used 'serry' but mates from Hucknall said' sorry'.

Visited an old cycling mate from Bulwell here in Brittany today and we soon drop into Nottm lingo after a few wines.

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Visited an old cycling mate from Bulwell here in Brittany today and we soon drop into Nottm lingo after a few wines.

Don't you drink the local plonk, Cider.. there are good cider makers in Paimpol, Saint-Quay-Perros, Penvénan and Plouégat Guérrand and all around you...

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Visited an old cycling mate from Bulwell here in Brittany today and we soon drop into Nottm lingo after a few wines.

Don't you drink the local plonk, Cider.. there are good cider makers in Paimpol, Saint-Quay-Perros, Penvénan and Plouégat Guérrand and all around you...

Drink my own cidre normally but my mate only keeps wine. Bringing 6 sacs of apples back on mon to make a drop more. Also have a gall of improved' cidre from last years brew that is being put down for a couple of years, ready for my funeral.

Chateau 'bogs' peveril ?

Funnily we were yarning about the bogs LOL. He used to live about 150 yards away from the bogs and left when 17.

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YES! Potted meat. Good stuff now from Birds, dont miss your chance if in there, smear it on their white tin loaf on top of butter and then sleep it off. YUMMY. and about Serry, its common in the Erewash valley but used emphatically by Ilkestonians and of that area, probably follows the coal trail. Doesnt matter what the root is, just a good word like Sithee. Ayup serry owstha wippet?

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My step-dad and his relatives lived in Eastwood and "Serry", "faitin'" and "scraitin'" were everyday words to them.

"She said ...", became "Ow sed", and trees were "trays".

They had brilliant nick-names as well. My step-dad was "Conk" because he always used to "keep conk" when they were scrumping as kids. His mates were "Stag" Jarvis ('cos his hair stuck up!) and "Pommer" Wilmott (no idea). The local mean-spirited shop keeper was know as "Georgie Split-raisin" because he would rather split a raisin than give you extra weight!

I had the pleasure of knowing Pommer who spoke the broadest Asewood dialect I ever heard. When I left Eastwood the decline of the local dialect was very noticeable. I hope someone records and preserves it before it disappear altogether.

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My missus lived most of her early life in Eastwood. She doesn't have the accent but often uses the word 'scraitin' for crying.

My dad was from Bulwell and always used to call people 'Serry'. For ages I used to think he meant sorry.

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as there are some referrals to certain food in this topic

im now down south when I 1st moved I asked for some potted meat in the local butchers ...?????..........??? whats that told them ..oh no

how about some polony.... again...??? no

so I come back and stock up from a very good butcher I have know for a long time ... top of carlton hill.....

now I buy for my mum in law and other friends down here

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I have heard the surry many times and still do....I have had a lot to do with farmers all my life....Live on one now....I am almost but not quite sure that it is a kind of version /corruption of American "siree".....This fits in with how it's used....My landlord farmer often says " ah surry....It is"...When agreeing with me...

 

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#68

 

Welcome 1958nikkip!

 

I recall a friend of my parents always used this expression. He was born and bred in Mansfield. I recall asking him what it meant when I was a child. He said he didn't know but it was a local word.  I've often wondered since if it's a corruption of the older 'sirrah'. I don't recall hearing it anywhere other than Mansfield.

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With work and other interest I was regularly in Mansfield and it surrounding areas including Sutton and Kirkby and more often than not was greeted with "eyup serry ows yer going". this was mainly from the people who lived in the area from birth, even in the conversation it would be used eg what yer think of this then serry . I always believed it was a local saying meaning friend ,mate, pal or something like that instead of your name. You now have me thinking was I wrong , was they swearing or insulting me., but knowing the people very well I am sure it was a friendly greeting , the same as eyup me duck.

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#70

 

I don't think it's a derogatory term at all, Trogg. As you say, it seems almost to be a term of endearment. I've never heard it in Derbyshire, nor in places like Eastwood. In fact, it's a long time since I heard it at all,

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Agreed. I also heard it around Hucknall.. Bestwood and adjoining areas.  Pronunciation... (Or pronounciation..  ;) )   varied from 'Sorry'/'Sorreh'. to Serry/Serreh' and Surry/Surreh.  No doubt one of them was correct... ;)

 

Bit like 'Duck'. 

 

'Miduck' is still very common around Nottm.., but on my only ever visit to Wirksworth Derbys' some years ago it was just 'Duck'.  Every 'Duck' other 'Duck' word 'Duck'.

 

Col, 'Duck'

 

'Duck'

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Dialect words like sorry or serry are nine times out of ten closer to the really old pronunciation . The Oxford  English implies it is older than sirrah. It's a bit like the Dublin and NE England word gosson or gossoon, a boy or someone naive. It's probably pretty close to Old French. Once you try to write them down, you lose the flavour.

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My first wifey came from Seston (Selson) and I had many friends from Illson (Ilkeston) and Ayner (Heanor). 'Sorry' or 'surry' was the pronunciation of serry in those districts.  My ex-father-in-law had the old Erewash Valley accent and was quite difficult to understand with his 'ohstermay' (She said to me) and his thees and thous and he thought me posh because I came from Nottingham where we didn't have such a strong accent :) 

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