Word of the Month – Cowp

To barter, to exchange
“Aa’ll coup wi’ ye – go’ the galloway for the year an five pun to beut.”

To exchange working places
“When pitmen exchange working places, they are said to cowp” – Mining Gloss, Newcastle terms, 1852

To upset
“That’s coup’s his apple cart for him”

Source: Heslop

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3 thoughts on “Word of the Month – Cowp

  1. best Geordie I remember from Primary school a visiting inspector obviously south of the Tyne said as he approached our primary school in Morpeth ,Small boy stuck his head above the school wall and yelled Hoy mister Gadgee Hoy the baal ower the waal ,,,,,, As a teacherin the area ffom 1951 I remember lots of examples

  2. a coup cart was a two wheeled cart pulled by a horse or pony that was loaded with farm yard manure (muck) and typically carted to the field where a catch could be released to tip (cowp) the contents of the cart into convenient sized heaps across the field to be spread by hand with a gripe or grape (fork) at a later date

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