Papa m'a explyitchi tout entouor Halloween!

Ch'est tout fîn fliambant neu pouor Halloween: Papa est d'èrtou! V'là tch'est bein quand un mousse peut apprendre aupi d'san Papa, car Papa est tréjous heutheux d'rêpondre ès tchestchions et raconter d's histouaithes du temps pâssé. Mais nou peut-i' craithe tout chein qu'i' dit - sustout quand il "explyique" Halloween au pouôrre moussetchot?

It's smoking hot for Halloween: we've got a brand new "Papa" story! It's a good thing for a lad to learn from his Grandad who's always happy to answer questions and tell stories of time past. But can everything he says be believed - especially when he "explains" Halloween to the poor wee lad?

Papa m'a explyitchi tout entouor Halloween!

"Pouortchi?" qué j'dis à Papa eune séthée auprès l'thée: "Pouortchi qu'les chorchièrs au temps pâssé 'taient si lâssés?"

"Tchi qui t'a dit qu'les chorchièrs 'taient lâssés, man fistaud?" qu'Papa m'rêponnit auve eune tchestchion.

"Ch'est en tchi j'tais siez lé Harvey Podêtre, tch'est un garçon dans ma cliâsse à l'êcole. Sa fanmil'ye a eune grande maîson auve un tas d'tèrrain. Lus maîson est grande et vielle et bâtie en grannit auve un tas d'appartéments. La maîson soulait êt' eune fèrme et il' ont convèrti la vielle êtabl'ye en eune bangnérêsse et la boulangu'thie dans eune salle à billards..."

"Il' ont un magl'ye dé bein, don," qu'Papa dit. "Ch'est-i' qu'i' sont des chorchièrs tch'ont enchorchélé tout chenna auve lus scîn? Ch'n'est pon ravissant qu'i' sont lâssés s'i' sont tréjous à env'yer des sorts pouor aver des sou!"

L'Malîn Esprit

"L'Malîn Esprit", par George D'La Forge (êcrit en 1972), liu par Geraint Jennings pouor Halloween.

A story/article written in 1972 by George d'La Forge about beliefs in the Devil, including an anecdote about the cloven-hoofed one taking a carriage ride in Saint John!

• Lé Dgiâbl'ye

RIP Hamish Robertson CB, MBE, colonial administrator

From an obituary in The Scotsman:

Hamish Robertson CB, MBE, colonial administrator

Born: 6 April, 1931, in Jersey. Died: 10 September 2013, in Dollar, aged 82

Hamish Robertson, who died at his home in Dollar in September, played a critically important role in the early years of Malawi’s independence and later enjoyed a successful career as a senior civil servant in the Scottish Office.

Hamish was born and spent his early years in Jersey, where his father James worked in the Agricultural Department. He began his education in the parish school in Trinity, where the playground language was Jerriais, and enjoyed the freedom to roam over fields and beaches.

All this came to an abrupt end in June 1940 when the family were evacuated on the last boat to leave before the Germans arrived. Hamish vividly remembered seeing Cherbourg blazing under German gunfire as they steamed north. (...)

Badlabecques pouor Halloween

Badlabecques jouent l'Rigodon d'Chorchel'lie à la Faîs'sie d'Cidre 2013.
Here's a snippet of the Witches' Rigadoon.

Tchiques patholes pouor Halloween - Some words for Halloween

Du vocabulaithe pouor Halloween:
Some Halloween vocab sound files:


r'vénants = ghosts


ponserêsse = nightmare


chorchell'lie = sorcery


chorchi = wizard, witch (m)


chorchiéthe = witch (f)


enchorchéler = bewitch, cast spell


d'senchorchéler = remove spell, exorcise


tchéthaud = white wizard; leader of coven

Jersey Naturalist: The Crapaud - November Blog

Jersey Naturalist: The Crapaud - November Blog: The Crapaud ( Bufo bufo ) Welcome! (Séyiz les beinv'nu!)  Why are we called Crapauds? The long-standing rivalry bet...

Mêfie-té des cats!

"Mêfie-té des cats!" dans l'livret "Mêfie-té des monstres!": eune histouaithe liue pouor Halloween par Geraint Jennings.

"Mêfie-té des monstres!" is an illustrated reader containing graded versions of Jersey legends. Here's a reading for Halloween of the story of the Cat of Lé Carrefour à Cendre.

Chu Preunmié Noué

"Chu Preunmié Noué" (That First Christmas) is a small booklet retelling a version of the Nativity story in simple Jèrriais with colourful pictures.

It follows the successful launch of "Toute la Pêque": a set of 6 new children's simple story books in Jèrriais published at the end of September. The text in English can be read alongside the Jèrriais on each page - in the same fold-out format as "Toute la Pêque".

This perfect stocking-filler will be out for Christmas. Price £3

Download the order form

L'Gronneux

L'Gronneux

par AALG

Janmais content, gronnant tréjous,
Du Dînmanche à la fîn d'la s'maine
I' fait des rouaux et crie sus tous;
Ch'est chance qu'i' n'en pèrde haleine:
Vraîment, jé crai, s'i' n'pouvait mus,
I gronn'nait, criethait, acouo pus.

L'Office est ouèrte - half-term opening

L'Office du Jèrriais est ouèrte: nou-s'est en travas duthant l'mié-tèrme Lundi à Jeudi. Bouonne vacanche ès êtudgiants!

During half-term we're at work in L'Office until end Thursday, when the skeleton service will be knocking off for Halloween. We hope our students enjoy their holiday week!

L'èrtèrgéthie dé l'heuthe – Putting the clocks back

L'èrtèrgéthie dé l'heuthe – Putting the clocks back

Acouo eune fais (once again) it's time to èrtèrgi l'heuthe (put the clocks back). So it's temps (time) to go round l's hôlouoges (the clocks) in order to changi (change) l'heuthe (the hour or the time).

Don't forget la mouontre (the watch) and l's hôlouoges digitales (digital clocks) on all your machinn'nie (appliances). You might need to chèrfouoilli (rummage) for lé livret d'înstructions (instruction booklet) for lé vidgo (the video) before c'menchi (starting) to èrprogrammer (reprogramme) the little mouontréthie blyîntchante (blinking display)!

Dictionary addenda

tchaffer = to cut chaff; to crank
(r'ssource: GW de Carteret 5/11/1921)