La Section de la langue Jèrriaise

Au Marchi ès Paîssons - In the Fish Market





An old Jèrriais diton tells us that “S'lon les paîssonnièrs lus paîsson est tréjous frais” (according to fishmongers their fish is always fresh). That's certainly the case in lé Marchi ès Paîssons (the Fish Market).

Tch'est qu'nou peut acater? (what can one buy?) Y'a des moûles (there are mussels), des grosses chèrvettes (prawns), des crabes (crabes), des pihangnes (spider crabs), des crabes à co (crayfish), et des honmards (and lobsters). Cockles will be des bobbes if you're from the East of the Island, or des chuchettes if you're from way out West.

You may also find du maqu'sé (mackerel), d'la héthique (haddock), du bar (bass), du mouaine (monkfish), du cônet (squid).... but there are so many different sorts of fish that I'm êpèrtchi comme un maqu'sé à s'tchi (pegged out like a mackerel to dry, i.e. sitting on the fence, unable to make my mind up).

I'd like to buy toute la pêque (the whole catch, i.e. the whole bang shoot), but as another diton says: si la mé bouoillait y'éthait bein du paîsson d'tchuit (if the sea boiled there'd be a lot of fish cooked, i.e. if wishes were horses beggars would ride).

En tout cas (in any case), you'll see d'la mouothue secque (dried cod). À chein qu'nou m'dit (from what I'm told), Jersey parents used to use this to give lus mousses (their children), when they were naughty, eune ronde (a hiding). So, mêfi'-ous! (watch out!)
 

 

Viyiz étout:

 

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