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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Staffordshire => Topic started by: alf on Saturday 07 April 07 06:58 BST (UK)
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Does any person local to Stoke, know where the expression "Duck" comes from.
Where I live every one calls you "Duck"
Many years age when I just started working at a local Theme Park and new the county. I was on security and a elderly lady from one of the shops came to me and stated the following. "Eh up Duck, their is a dead duck, at the front gate duck". I looked at my mates and said what is she talking about, they were all in stitches
regards
Alf
not a duck fan
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Hi Alf,
Found this on Google. When I worked in the Cannock area, they did not use "Duck" but "Cock" - this caused quite a stir once with a member of staff who had joined us from another part of the country - she was outraged until we explained that it was not an insult but a local dialect expression.
"Duck"
www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/voices2005/features/steve_birks.shtml - 35k -
"Cock"
www.bbc.co.uk/blackcountry/features/2002/12/accents/t_y.shtml - 57k -
Cathy ;D ;D
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Hi Cathy
Very interesting reading, Duck
Alf
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My father, a true Brummie, always called my mother Duck.....
'ay, gerrus a cup of cha duck"
And I remember......sometimes on the buzzes years ago the conductor might call you Duck!
"Watch yer step Duck."
Definitely a Black Country and/or Brummie thing !
;D ;D ;D ;D
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I thought it was a Stokie thing, Duck...
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From Rick Mayall
What do you say to a man without arms or legs when you don't have a watch
Have you got the time on your cock ?
bodger
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I lived in Derbys. for a few years, I always thought duck was very much an expression from there?, but as a Yorkie, we call every one love, including male to male, and if any man wants to take that furher PM me. Bodger
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aup me duck
im derbyshire born an bred and everyone uses it
there is a book called aup me duck about derbyshire slang
::) i bought my wife a copy when she emigrated (from usa)
but to be honest i struggle to read some of it ;)
gigg
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Hi there
My relatives come from the potteries. When asking if i was courting a girl
they used to say "are you meshing " . Very strange!!
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Alwight m'duck? Just adding Northampton to the mix!
Regards, Emma ;)
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I work with a Stokey and for food he calls it " snapping"
Alf
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Alwight m'duck? Just adding Northampton to the mix!
Regards, Emma ;)
And theres me thinking it was more Wellingborough / Kett'rin !!
I would if I could but I kent so I shent so I ainta gunna....With thanks to "Air Aida"
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As some-one who ia "Derbyshire born. Derbyshire bred, strong in the arm and 'Wik' in the 'ead, Duck is a familiar term. "Eye up mi duck , ah thowt yo wor ded" is an old form of greeting still used in a lot of Derbyshire and Nottingham. I guess that the "Strays" we all see so much in the genealogy lists must take it with them to foreign parts, I know that 'G'Day mi duck" gets some funny looks in Western Australia where I live now.
A good web site with the sayings and audio of them is available from BBC Radio Derby.
Mick Perry in WA.
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This brought a smile! I'm Greater Manchester born & bred (ie where "love" is used mainly), but my parents came from "Duck" territory - I visited Mum yesterday & took her out - in the space of about 10 minutes I heard several people address each other as "Duck" - this was Staffs. It does always make me smile, though sometimes I have to bite my tongue to resist a "quack". I would like to know the origins, like Alf.
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I don't know how accurate this origin is but try the link
http://www.thepotteries.org/dialect_qa.html#Where_
My mother comes from the Potteries, but we've lived in Cornwall for over 50 years. We both roared when her cousin left us with a "tara duck" and still say it to one another many years later.
Ellen
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Thanks for that link Ellen - interesting.
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Duck is a term of respect,nothing to do with wild fowl, and hails back to a time when most lands were owned by the duke of devonshire,(Cavendish, shugbourgh hall)and he would be greeted by the locals with a "Good afternoon Duke" and because us stokies only speak the sounds of the words, hey presto Duck...
As ever talking within industry was frowned upon and discouraged,so we learned to say a lot in as short a time as poss,plus the noise in pits Potts etc
yupmeyduc........good afternoon duke
Or, Owat............How are you?
Atginon.......How are you going on?
To which is replied AhOrate..thay!...,...yes alright , and you?
and lastly kin..L...which is left to the imagination to decide based on the previous examples
PS spell cheka didna likit effa
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My nan being scots would say,
hi ya hen. ge is a kiss then hen.
marcie
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My husband is born/bred Nottingham and he still calls me "duck", my grandfather
came from Cannock area and I remember he called us grandchildren "coc", my late
Dad always used to say "Have you done my snap"(pack-up lunch) and if he was late
for work, well then he"got buzzed"!!!
My favourite is when my hubby requests "knobby greens".......sprouts! Must be a Notts thing!
Alyson
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I grew up in the North East of England and we used 'Flower' and 'Petal' as terms of endearment. My ex-husband was so disappointed when, in a cafe in Middlesbrough, a total stranger called him 'flower'. He thought it was my personal name for him! ;D ;D
I always think of 'Duck' as a Derbyshire expression. If it happens in Staffordshire, maybe my great, great grandmother used it too. :)
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This link explains 'Duck transactions'!
http://www.thepotteries.org/dialect.html#duck
Also in the Potteries there is another commonly used term: 'youth' used as a greeting between males (as in 'all right, youth?'), and which has nothing to do with age - I've heard grandfathers addressed as such. I've also come across this in South Derbyshire, where in broad dialect it's pronounced 'yowth' or even 'yoath'.
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"Youth" terminology is also used in Nottinghamshire and West Midlands, my OH always
calls his brother "youth". Telephone conversation usually starts "eh-up Youth"!!
Alyson
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Not only Stoke but South Derbyshire too. There even the men call each other "duck" or "miduck". Maybe it's something common to mining areas?
Interesting!
G
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Living In Burton On Trent and having Derbyshire on its door step it is very popular to call some one duck or miduck..in fact i use it a lot in Burton Miduck...Chris
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I always knew the Sheffield area was well known for its use of the "duck" expression .. now I'm beginning to understand why, with the close proximity to Derbyshire !!
Hi Chris, it's good to see you joining us ! :)
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"Duck" is very much alive and well in South Derbyshire (Swadlincote district) and still in very common use. Several of my relatives use it all the time, as did my father.
I was going to make the 'Duke' (Mediaeval Duc)' connection which was my understanding but it has already been given in previous posts.
Kevin
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Think my OH has forgotten my name ,, I am .........Duck..... needless to he say was born and bred in the Potteries :)