The author says, intert alia, "in scouring these dialects, I have unearthed all sorts of characters – from the Midlands jaisy, a polite and effeminate man, the Yorkshire stridewallops, a tall and awkward woman or the dardledumdue (Norfolk 1893), a person without energy. The English language has never been short of slurs for the stupid and colourfully describes them as a clumperton (mid-16th century), a dull-pickle or a fopdoodle (late 17th century) or a goostrumnoodle (Cornish 1871)."
Trying to guess their meanings, I think I'd feel like a goostrumnoodle!
What dialects tell us about the national character
Great article in the Grauniad:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/mind-your-language/2014/apr/02/what-british-dialects-tell-us-about-national-character
The author says, intert alia, "in scouring these dialects, I have unearthed all sorts of characters – from the Midlands jaisy, a polite and effeminate man, the Yorkshire stridewallops, a tall and awkward woman or the dardledumdue (Norfolk 1893), a person without energy. The English language has never been short of slurs for the stupid and colourfully describes them as a clumperton (mid-16th century), a dull-pickle or a fopdoodle (late 17th century) or a goostrumnoodle (Cornish 1871)."
Trying to guess their meanings, I think I'd feel like a goostrumnoodle!