Yorkshire Tales. Third Series: Amusing sketches of Yorkshire Life in the Yorkshire DialectHartley, John
General
Yorkshire Tales. Third Series: Amusing sketches of Yorkshire Life in the Yorkshire Dialect
Hartley, John
English language -- Dialects -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- Fiction
"Ger aght o' mi gate, an lets do summat. Bring me a cheer to stand on an
a knife an a hammer an a chissel an aw'll show thi ha to put a winder
in, in abaat two or three ticktacks. This is what aw call a soft snap.
Ninepence,--that's threepenoths for abaat three minnits wark. Nah, thee
stand thear an steady th' cheer. Here gooas!---- Aw wonder what dang'd
sooart o' putty that lumpheead used 'at put this winder in. It's as hard
as iron--Jer-rer-ruselem!"
"What's to do, Sammywell? Has ta takken th' skin off?"
"Skin off! Oooo! Aw've ommost takken mi finger off! Get us some claat an
a length o' threed to lap it up. If aw knew th' chap 'at put that winder
in, he'd nivver put another in."
"Ther nah,--be moor careful,--it mud ha been war,--but tha sees that's
what comes ov a chap startin to do summat 'at he doesn't understand."
"Understand! What the dickens is ther to understand abaat puttin a
winder in? It's nooan puttin a winder in at's trubble! it's gettin this
dang'd owd glass aght 'at tother chap put in. But awm nooan gooin to be
likt bi a winder. Stick fast to that cheer. One,--two,--three----"
"Nah, tha's done it! Tha's gooan an brokken another pane! Ah knew tha'd
mak a mullock on it when tha started!"
"Did ta! Well, aw'll mak a mullock o' thee i' two minnits if tha doesn't
shut up! Tha sees awm dooin mi best to try to save a penny or two an tha
does nowt but try to aggravate me. Braikin another pane doesn't amaant
to mich;--they're nobbut thrippence a piece; aw think th' best plan 'll
be to tak th' sash aght an put it on th' table, an then it'll be easier
to get at. What says ta!"
"Do as tha likes, but aw think tha'd better let a chap come an put em in
an ha done wi' it."
"If aw connot put a winder in we'll do baat. Nah, tha'll see it's just
as simple as suckin spice, nah 'at aw've getten it whear aw can get to
it. A'a, ther's noa wonder 'at them glazeners gettin rich! Chargin a
shillin for a bit ov a job like this. Awm moor nor hawf inclined to goa
into this trade, as old as aw am. Nah, tha sees, that's all ready for
puttin th' glass in. Umph!--th' chap 'at cut this must ha been cross
ee'd. Well, nivverheed,--aw guess aw can just squ-e-e-e-e-ze it in--.
Dang it! it's allus alike! If awd ha cut that glass misen it ud ha just
been reight. Nah it's crackt reight across! But it'll ha to do,--crackt
or net crackt! Consarn it! aw dooant see what fowk want wi winders in a
wesh haase! awm i' two minds to board th' hoil up an let em wesh i'th
dark. Hasumivver, that's nooan sich a bad job if it'll nobbut stick. If
aw hadn't brokken this tother pane aw'st had done nah. Nah, Mally, lass,
aw'st want another shillin for this tother winder."
"Tha'll get noa moor aght o' me. Tha mun buy another square aght o' thi
ninepence tha's saved."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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