MANY thanks to those who responded to my article on Cotswold words.

Mrs Sly was the most senior and reminded me of two words in my father’s vocabulary.

These were ‘teart’, meaning a sharp searing pain, and ‘emit’ or ‘emmett,’ meaning any ants or small creeping insect.

Gordon Land, a former school friend from way out east (ie Lechlade) suggested ‘wassock’, although this could be of Yorkshire origin.

Another reader suggested ‘chump’ meaning a log of firewood, but conceded this could have Somerset origins.

Other readers confirmed use of ‘scant’ and ‘daps’ but none confirmed the use of ‘starved’ as being very cold.

Playing skittles and cricket in my pre-university days I often heard villagers greeting each other with a simple question ‘ow bist?’ meaning how are you.

On one occasion the reply was ‘oi be fairish, ow bist thee?’

The motor car had yet to swamp society and there were many more farm workers, who in most cases remained village based.

Our more fluid, flexible society has caused many changes, mostly for the good, but the decline of the genuine Cotswold vernacular is not one of them.

I would suggest my correspondents are all over seventy in which case they will have seen the inevitable changes in village life.

Push bikes have given way to Chelsea tractors and cord trousers are not in the once unheard of colour of red.

Schooling may not have helped.

I with two other lads of impeccable Cotswold pedigree were asked to stand in front of the class and say “Da-ance on the gra-ass, in front of the Ca-astle, without any trace of a rural accent.

This was not the language of our parents or friends at home so we danced on the grass in front of the perishing castle.

We knew who we were and were and are proud of it.

My Birmingham raised children would have described our actions as ‘bostin’.

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