Most of the words and phrases listed here have been taken from "Larn Yarself Norfolk" with kind permission from Keith Skipper

Keith has written and been associated with many many books on Norfolk,his great love for that wonderful County is obvious in every amusing word he writes.

To a "transplant visiting his roots in Norfolk it must be a nightmare trying to ask a "local" the direction to some of the villages. Here are a few of the problems:
NARSERY RHOIMES

        Little owd gal Muffet
        Sat roight down on an owd tuffet
        Eatin' har cards an' whey,
        When there come a master grut owd spoider
        And sat roight down aside o'har
        And wholly scart the li'l ol' mawther away.
I am currently indexing about 200 "East Anglian" magazines dating from the 1940's to the early 1960's. I found the above in March 1960. Written by R.CLOVER. It made me giggle and seemed wasted to be shut away for so long. I hope if he or she sees it they wont mind me using it. For those who don't know this rhyme..it goes... spider 

        Little Miss Muffet
        She sat on a tuffet
        Eating her curds and whey,
        There came a big spider
        And sat down beside her
        And frightened Miss Muffet away.



I prefer R.CLOVER's version!!!
AND ANOTHER NARSERY RHOIME

The ship are in the midder
The cows are in the corn
The duzzy fule see arter 'em-
He's lorst,soo blow yar horn.
A-snorin in the stuvva-
Tha's where he fare ter be.
Dew he on't wark termorrer-
Oi'll wholly wallop he.

The above was taken from December 1958 East Anglian Magazine..signed D.E.B.

'Ha' yer fa'r got a dickey, bor?' 'Yis, an' he want a fule ter roide 'im, will yew cum?'

TRANSLATION

Has your father got a donkey, boy? Yes, and he wants a fool to ride him, will you come?

NORFOLK RECIPES

FLIES IN AMBER
A cold savoury from King's Lynn

1 hard boiled egg
1/4 pint cream
salt and pepper to taste
potted fish or meat as required
aspic jelly as required
mustard and cress or watercress

Remove yolk to a small basin. Pound with a wooden spoon to a cream,with cream to soften. Season wih salt and pepper. Measure, and add double the quantity of potted fish or meat. Beat till blended. Rinse out some little moulds or coffee cups in cold water.Half fill them with aspic jelly,dissolved according to instructions, and about to set. Leave until set. Shape the meat mixture into tiny balls the size of green peas. Put half a dozen in each mould. Fill up with aspic jelly. When set, unmold on to a flat dish. Dust the tops with a little chopped egg white, and mustard and cress. Garnish round the base with mustard and cress or watercress.

YARMOUTH TOAST

For 4 persons

4 hard bloater roes
butter as required
cayenne pepper to taste
french mustard to taste
salt to taste

Place roes in a basin. Pound with butter until in a paste, then season with pepper, mustard and salt. Turn in to small saucepan. Stir till piping hot. Spread on fingers of fried bread, or buttered toast. If the roes were not already cooked, rub then freely with butter and grill them before pounding.

NORFOLK DUMPLINGS

1/2 pound of plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Water

Mix all the dry ingredients together with enough water to make a firm dough.
Divide mixture into four portions and roll into balls.
Steam for 20 mins.

SAMPHIRE ("SAMPHA" in dialect) - often known as "POOR MAN'S ASPARAGUS"

Wash your samphire well in fresh water.
Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 mins.
No need to add salt as it grows in salty water.
Once you can suck the flesh from the stalk it is ready.

You can eat it with vinegar as a dish of its own or as a vegetable with any meat dish.It also makes a very nice starter served with olive oil and lemon juice with parmesan shavings sprinkled on the top. (I doubt our Norfolk ancestors would have heard of that one though!!)

Samphire can be picked in Norfolk about the end of July.

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