h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We had an Open Day for Year 10 students (14-15 year-olds) yesterday. It's always roughly the same weekend in April, and for the last few years we've been very lucky with the weather. We do a 'mingling' activity at the beginning to get them talking to each other, and usually take them out onto the sports field, so that there is not too much noise near the College buildings to disturb students (many of whom are revising at this time of year).

However, yesterday it was so cold that I needed a scarf and gloves when cycling in to work, so we couldn't expose the little darlings to the cold and had to find an indoor space to use. I remarked to my boss that they were a bit 'nesh' and was surprised that he hadn't come across the word. It was in common usage in our family when I was growing up and I had assumed it was a Yorkshire term (my mother's side), but maybe it's Scottish (from my dad). Can the Aiberdonians elucidate?

Old English 'hnæsc' pronounced almost like 'nesh', meaning soft, delicate, even later 'weedy', seems to have survived mainly in the Northern dialects. I grew up with it from Lancashire, annie.

Nope, nae Aiberdonian that I ken o'

DOuglas

Thanks $quigs! My mum was from Wakefield (I know, I know - wrong side of the Pennines ...) and boss is a Yorkshireman, which is why I expected him to know what it meant.

It is common round the Telford area it is the only place I have herd it

That's interesting - definitely no Staffordshire connection in the family, as far as I know.

Oops! For Staffordshire read Shropshire! Must have been influenced by the name - sorry.

It seems quite localised Unlike brass monkeys

Belatedly hoping you are sitting in a newly bright spot in the gardens, now that the sun has dried out the wooden benches a bit.

Re *nesh*: I first heard it in Manchester from a friend from Birkenhead/ the Wirral [she had North Walian and Liverpool heritage so no Yorkshire there.] Would certainly define it in terms of someone who keeps their winter vest on until Whit Sunday.

Hi there pj! Definitely more springlike today, although there was a prolonged spell of heavy rain in the middle of the day. I had the day off, so I suppose it was inevitable ... anyway I made the best of it by going to the cinema (Juno, which I hadn't seen first time round).