algy Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Eawr Sarah’s Getten A Chap by Sam Fitton This must be one of the best-known and best-loved Lancashire dialect poems - I enjoyed reciting it when still at primary school. There is much in it that paints a picture of life in the cotton-towns of the later part of the nineteenth century. Sam Fitton is one of the favourite Lancashire dialect writers. He lived from 1868 to 1923 and though born in Congleton, Cheshire, is mainly associated with Rochdale. He started work in the cotton industry but then went to art school and developed his skills as a writer, cartoonist and reciter of dialect poems and prose. He wrote of towns and people, not the countryside. Eawr Sarah’s Getten A Chap, by Sam Fitton. Eh, dear; there’s bin some change inEawr heause this week or two;Wheer once there used to be a dinIt’s like a Sunday schoo’;We never feight for apple pie,We very seldom frap;An’ what d’ye think’s the reason why?Eawr Sarah’s getten a chap.Eawr fender shines just like a bell,We’n had it silvered o’er;An’ th’ cat appears to wesh itsel’Moor often than before;Eawr little Nathan’s wiped his nose,Eawr Jimmy’s brushed his cap;An’ o this fuss is just becoseEawr Sarah’s getten a chap.He’s one o’ thoose young "nutty" men,They sen he’s brass an’ o,My mother’s apron’s allus clen,For fear he gives a co;We’n polished up th’ dur knocker, too;We’r swanky yo’ con tell;But Sarah says it winno do,We’st ha’ to have a bell.We bowt a carpet t’ other neet,To wear it seems a sin;My feyther has to wipe his feetBefore he dar’ com in;He never seems a’whoam someheaw,He says he’s noan on th’ map;He allus wears a collar neawEawr Sarah’s getten a chap.We’n serviettes neaw when we dine;A brand new bib for Ben;Eawr Fanny’s started talkin’ fine,Wi’ lumps in neaw an’ then,Sin’ Sarah geet her fancy beauHoo fairly cocks her chin;Hoo has a bottom drawer an’ oTo keep her nick-nacks in.Hoo’s wantin’ this, an wantin’ that,Hoo thinks we’re made o’ brass;Hoo goes to th’ factory in her hat,Hoo says ut it’s moar class;Hoo’s bucked my feyther up shuzheaw,He darno’ wear a cap;He gets his bacco chepper neawEawr Sarah’s getten a chap.He comes o’ courtin’ every neet,He fills eawr cat wi’ dread;He’s sky-blue gaiters on his feet,An’ hair-oil on his yed;He likes to swank about an’ strutAn’ talk abeawt his "biz";He’s "summat in an office," butI don’t know what it is.His socks are crimson lined wi’ blue,I weesh he’d do a guy;I weesh he’d pop the question, too,Or pop his yallow tie,My feyther darno’ raise a row,An’ th’ childer darno’ scrap;We feel to live i’ lodgin’s neawEawr Sarah’s getten a chap.He’s put eawr household in a whirl,He’s sich a howlin’ swell;I weesh he’d find another girl,Or goo an’ loose hissel’;Eawr parrot’s gone an’ cocked its toes,Eawr roosters conno flap;We’er gooin’ daft an’ o becoseEawr Sarah’s getten a chap. Explanations: Getten - got Chap - man, bloke, here boyfriend Frap - hit (fight) Fender - hearth-surround Nutty - brainy Brass - money Noan on th' map - not in it, unimportant Collar - shirts were worn with detachable collars Bottom drawer - where a bride-to-be kept things for her new home Shuzheaw - anyway Biz - business Summat - somthing, someone important In an office - i.e. not a manual worker, therefore 'posh' Do a guy - push off, disappear Pop the question - propose marriage Pop his tie - give up his tie at the pawnbroker's shop I' lodgins - the house is no longer our own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Brilliant, having been dragged up in lancashire afor they swapped the lines about that is, I can say that I knew most of the expressions used. after all me gran and grandad tawked like that and to this day my greeting is "owdo". Funny thing is in all my years I have only ever spoke to one person who has asked me if I come from lancashire because of my accent. (surprising how many ask if I come from liverpool but that comes from marrying a lass from that area and spending a lot of time working with liverpudlians) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demelzadoe Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Thanks for these poems, it's all the entertainment I have, and need. I read Warrykin Fair, couldn't understand a word, but I'm confident that if I could have understood it then it would have been just as entertaining as the rest of the poems I've read. I'm thinking I've been out of contact for far too long. Verse three of this one; not mentioning any names, but, we had a family down our street, the first, and only in my memory, to intall a doorbell, you could hear it even over the tele. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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