A friend and fellow linguistics researcher sent me these pictures today! She is from Puerto Rico, but her boyfriend is from Yeovil (or near enough), so they spent a little time there last year. She was rather taken with this mug:
Are many of these words still in use though, or are they a convenient stereotype for the county? Does voicing /s/ still occur (e.g. where ‘Somerset’ becomes ‘Zummerzet’), or is this a relic? Either way, it’s the kind of thing that sells mugs. And books. And t-shirts!
I may start introducing a few back into my own vocab. ‘Puggled’, for example, as an alternative to ‘drunk’, makes it sound harmless and even a little adorable. I can’t remember the last time I said I was ‘miffed’, but I’m fairly sure I’ve heard ‘tidden’!
Do you use any of the words or phrases on this mug?
Somerset Speaks! 