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In these parts, it's still quite common to hear people call each other 'buh', as in for example 'you gowen' on 'olidee this year, buh?'.
This use is quite often written out as 'boy', ( e.g in the title of the song 'Have you got a light, boy?'), but I was told many years ago that the word is actually a contraction of 'neighbour', i.e. its unstressed second syllable.
I don't know if that's true, but I'm curious to know if you've ever known anyone regularly address women as 'buh' (or 'bor' or 'boy', or something like that), just as easily as they would say it to a man.
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East Anglian dialect on 15:22 - Feb 27 with 5841 views
That's interesting, I didn't know that it originally came from 'neighbour'. Not sure about hearing it used to address a woman but I know a couple of chaps from the Braintree/Halstead area who have used "buh/boy" to refer to each other. And I worked with a lady from Braintree who said "shew" (instead of 'showed').
It's a shame how much most of our accents and dialects are homogenising or being replaced by others e.g. the spread of Cockney/Estuary English or younger people speaking with some form of MLE. I feel like my accent is relatively neutral, though it depends on the situation and who I'm with, and I obviously talk differently to a lot of other people in England.
⋆⋆⋆ My Ipswich Town quizzes: https://www.jetpunk.com/series/1696326/hinckfords-ipswich-town-quizzes ⋆⋆⋆
That's interesting, I didn't know that it originally came from 'neighbour'. Not sure about hearing it used to address a woman but I know a couple of chaps from the Braintree/Halstead area who have used "buh/boy" to refer to each other. And I worked with a lady from Braintree who said "shew" (instead of 'showed').
It's a shame how much most of our accents and dialects are homogenising or being replaced by others e.g. the spread of Cockney/Estuary English or younger people speaking with some form of MLE. I feel like my accent is relatively neutral, though it depends on the situation and who I'm with, and I obviously talk differently to a lot of other people in England.
I grew up in Haverhill and have a absolutely awful Haverhill/estuary/mockney accent. I think I would quite happily pay for elocution lessons from someone with a good Suffolk accent...
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East Anglian dialect on 16:46 - Feb 27 with 5657 views
East Anglian dialect on 15:29 - Feb 27 by leitrimblue
I grew up in Haverhill and have a absolutely awful Haverhill/estuary/mockney accent. I think I would quite happily pay for elocution lessons from someone with a good Suffolk accent...
I originally started fairly well spoken with a slight Suffolk twang (the odd 'roight boi' and 'arrrr' instead of hour etc).
However nearly 7 years years of living in Newham East London (West Ham country) and working/socialising in Barking/Romford/Basildon have turned me into a semi-posh cockney with a suffolk twang. I'm a mess.
That's interesting, I didn't know that it originally came from 'neighbour'. Not sure about hearing it used to address a woman but I know a couple of chaps from the Braintree/Halstead area who have used "buh/boy" to refer to each other. And I worked with a lady from Braintree who said "shew" (instead of 'showed').
It's a shame how much most of our accents and dialects are homogenising or being replaced by others e.g. the spread of Cockney/Estuary English or younger people speaking with some form of MLE. I feel like my accent is relatively neutral, though it depends on the situation and who I'm with, and I obviously talk differently to a lot of other people in England.
'Shew' is quite common still in Colchester. Grow/grew, throw/threw, blow/blew, ... show/shew.
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East Anglian dialect on 17:06 - Feb 27 with 5578 views
Were I'm located (near Sudbury) the only people i hear that have a proper Suffolk accent are the ones 65 and above. Most people my age speak in an bizarre combination of the East Anglian and Cockney accent.
I've yet to hear an person in their 20/30s speak in a proper East Anglian accent. Its probably because of the Cockneys moving out of London towards places like Sudbury and Haverhill, causing the accents to collide and made this weird Sufney/Cockfolk accent mixture, which is also known as the modern era Essex accent.
I hadn't heard the phrase "buh" until the last year or so.
Admittedly, I came to Ipswich when I was 6 and left when I was 18 back in the 60s and 70s, so didn't have any roots, but maybe the phrase wasn't as common in Ipswich as the rest of Suffolk.
[Post edited 27 Feb 2023 17:18]
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East Anglian dialect on 17:16 - Feb 27 with 5538 views
I've got a book on Suffolk dialect which confirms the origin of 'bor' from neighbour and Old English. Pronounced as in the 'oo' in foot so nearer buh than boy. Having said that my dad is Ipswich and 92 and he says boi.
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East Anglian dialect on 17:20 - Feb 27 with 5518 views
Funnily enough I was born in the Norfolk and Norwich hospital but have lived in Suffolk since the age of 11 months old. Therefore I have a fairly strong Suffolk accent although I can't tell that unless someone say's your from Suffolk or I hear myself on a recording. The difference I believe between the Suffolk and Norfolk dialect is that the Norfolk dialect seems to be more like they are singing. The old singing postman used to come in a hotel I worked at in Norwich. He used to sing haya got a loight boy and Molley Wimley she smookes like a chimley she mi little nicotine gal.
I dont think it comes from neighbour, 'buh/boy' derives from Middle English word boye and originally meant a young male servant, whilst in Old English it literally meant farmer, even today the german word for farmer is bauer.
so I dont think many women get addressed as "buh" fwiw.
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East Anglian dialect on 18:59 - Feb 27 with 5290 views
I was trying to explain to a confused northerner that when locals here say "alright boi", theyre just saying hello, but its only when someone points it out to you how often we say it as locals it actually becomes quite funny.
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East Anglian dialect on 19:13 - Feb 27 with 5206 views
I have an ipswich accent, which is definitely different from what people recognise as a suffolk accent. Buh is a daily word. As is mate. Buh is always for males. Mate can be male or female although some ladies don't like it.
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East Anglian dialect on 19:13 - Feb 27 with 5203 views
East Anglian dialect on 18:55 - Feb 27 by stonojnr
I dont think it comes from neighbour, 'buh/boy' derives from Middle English word boye and originally meant a young male servant, whilst in Old English it literally meant farmer, even today the german word for farmer is bauer.
so I dont think many women get addressed as "buh" fwiw.
My book says " probably a shortened form of Old English neahgebour or Low German bur - countryman"
East Anglian dialect on 18:55 - Feb 27 by stonojnr
I dont think it comes from neighbour, 'buh/boy' derives from Middle English word boye and originally meant a young male servant, whilst in Old English it literally meant farmer, even today the german word for farmer is bauer.
so I dont think many women get addressed as "buh" fwiw.
I thought for a guy it's buh and for a woman it's bor
If it's a them, who knows
Alcohol is the answer but I can't remember the question!
I originally started fairly well spoken with a slight Suffolk twang (the odd 'roight boi' and 'arrrr' instead of hour etc).
However nearly 7 years years of living in Newham East London (West Ham country) and working/socialising in Barking/Romford/Basildon have turned me into a semi-posh cockney with a suffolk twang. I'm a mess.
There's another Ipswich fan in Newham?
Do you still reside there now?
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East Anglian dialect on 08:48 - Feb 28 with 4524 views
East Anglian dialect on 17:20 - Feb 27 by OldFart71
Funnily enough I was born in the Norfolk and Norwich hospital but have lived in Suffolk since the age of 11 months old. Therefore I have a fairly strong Suffolk accent although I can't tell that unless someone say's your from Suffolk or I hear myself on a recording. The difference I believe between the Suffolk and Norfolk dialect is that the Norfolk dialect seems to be more like they are singing. The old singing postman used to come in a hotel I worked at in Norwich. He used to sing haya got a loight boy and Molley Wimley she smookes like a chimley she mi little nicotine gal.
I composed a very detailed reply whist I was enjoying my own company in the pub but then "Market tosser Steve" started to talk to me and somehow I pressed a wrong button and everything was lost.
Anyhoo - To cut it short;
Joshy.
It's quite weird really as I have lived most of my sorry life in Suffolk but I think I have survived the "Suffolk Twang"
What continuously intrigues me though is............I thought that everyone on the planet knew that "On the drag" meant that you were going to be a little bit late.
I had this discussion with the very late Dalai Farmer and we were both convinced that it was a national saying - but then some bloke said that he had never heard that expression before. So, we were in the Old Times and we both text people from far and wide over the UK and the world and each to a man said they have never heard of that expression - no one had heard of it.
Fast forward to right now and I asked Market Steve if he knew of it and he said "No". The Naarwich pub people then started to put their penny in and apparently they have never heard of the saying either.
So - it's either a complete one off Suffolk thing or me and the late DF are crazy.
So ---- Does anyone recognise "On the Drag"?
...........As a side issue, Lady Lucan usually speaks relatively normal since I rescued her but if she happens to meet up with one of her old Nacton school friends for the afternoon she ends up speaking like Neno for the rest of the day.
[Post edited 1 Mar 2023 8:15]
“Hello, I'm your MP. Actually I'm not. I'm your candidate. Gosh.”
Boris Johnson canvassing in Henley, 2005.
East Anglian dialect on 00:18 - Mar 1 by Lord_Lucan
That was interesting as it quite happens.
I composed a very detailed reply whist I was enjoying my own company in the pub but then "Market tosser Steve" started to talk to me and somehow I pressed a wrong button and everything was lost.
Anyhoo - To cut it short;
Joshy.
It's quite weird really as I have lived most of my sorry life in Suffolk but I think I have survived the "Suffolk Twang"
What continuously intrigues me though is............I thought that everyone on the planet knew that "On the drag" meant that you were going to be a little bit late.
I had this discussion with the very late Dalai Farmer and we were both convinced that it was a national saying - but then some bloke said that he had never heard that expression before. So, we were in the Old Times and we both text people from far and wide over the UK and the world and each to a man said they have never heard of that expression - no one had heard of it.
Fast forward to right now and I asked Market Steve if he knew of it and he said "No". The Naarwich pub people then started to put their penny in and apparently they have never heard of the saying either.
So - it's either a complete one off Suffolk thing or me and the late DF are crazy.
So ---- Does anyone recognise "On the Drag"?
...........As a side issue, Lady Lucan usually speaks relatively normal since I rescued her but if she happens to meet up with one of her old Nacton school friends for the afternoon she ends up speaking like Neno for the rest of the day.
[Post edited 1 Mar 2023 8:15]
Ahlroight buh. I definitely use on the drag. Don't scummers say "on the huff"?
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East Anglian dialect on 09:11 - Mar 1 with 3707 views
East Anglian dialect on 00:18 - Mar 1 by Lord_Lucan
That was interesting as it quite happens.
I composed a very detailed reply whist I was enjoying my own company in the pub but then "Market tosser Steve" started to talk to me and somehow I pressed a wrong button and everything was lost.
Anyhoo - To cut it short;
Joshy.
It's quite weird really as I have lived most of my sorry life in Suffolk but I think I have survived the "Suffolk Twang"
What continuously intrigues me though is............I thought that everyone on the planet knew that "On the drag" meant that you were going to be a little bit late.
I had this discussion with the very late Dalai Farmer and we were both convinced that it was a national saying - but then some bloke said that he had never heard that expression before. So, we were in the Old Times and we both text people from far and wide over the UK and the world and each to a man said they have never heard of that expression - no one had heard of it.
Fast forward to right now and I asked Market Steve if he knew of it and he said "No". The Naarwich pub people then started to put their penny in and apparently they have never heard of the saying either.
So - it's either a complete one off Suffolk thing or me and the late DF are crazy.
So ---- Does anyone recognise "On the Drag"?
...........As a side issue, Lady Lucan usually speaks relatively normal since I rescued her but if she happens to meet up with one of her old Nacton school friends for the afternoon she ends up speaking like Neno for the rest of the day.
[Post edited 1 Mar 2023 8:15]
I've used it forever. Only became obvious to me that it was a Suffolk/Ipswich thing when I used it with an old boss because I was going to be late for work and they replied "excuse me?". I then had a similar experience to you where I asked a bunch of folk whether they'd heard of it.
I remember in the 70´s when saying hello to fellow school kids at primary we´d use the term .. Hatcha....rather than the more known watcha....anyone else recall this oddment?
That's interesting, I didn't know that it originally came from 'neighbour'. Not sure about hearing it used to address a woman but I know a couple of chaps from the Braintree/Halstead area who have used "buh/boy" to refer to each other. And I worked with a lady from Braintree who said "shew" (instead of 'showed').
It's a shame how much most of our accents and dialects are homogenising or being replaced by others e.g. the spread of Cockney/Estuary English or younger people speaking with some form of MLE. I feel like my accent is relatively neutral, though it depends on the situation and who I'm with, and I obviously talk differently to a lot of other people in England.
My Mum says Shew !
My Grandad also used to say things like cor da heck which the film the Dig brought back memories of.
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