In a Caffle about Babaloobies

iffany/Pixabay

I’ve heard some sayings recently that I haven’t heard before in north Pembrokeshire and was curious about their origins, so I had a dive into their history.

I don’t want to be chopsy, so I will aim to keep it brief, but words like this seem to be part of the south Pembrokeshire dialect which, while based in the native Welsh, also contains a Norse influence and a smattering of West country English and Flemish. This makes for a mix that has produced some interesting phrases that I think I want to start using… for the sheer joy of it.

If you hadn’t guessed it already chopsy, is fairly obvious. Its meaning is talking too much, but unless you are local to south Pembrokeshire would you recognise all to clush or in a caffle as confused.

Apple-flap we might recognise as an apple turnover, but what about angletwitch which is a delightful name for an earthworm?

Cackty is a coward, which I get, but babaloobies? They are pebbles, don’t you know?

Fussing is deliciously fantaddling and more obviously foreign is furren.

Do have any more for us? We would love to hear from you.