Five questions about natural phenomena—Quick Quiz

By Kay McMahon, 28 March 2015

It’s said that the Eskimos have 17 words for snow. Britain too has a wealth of words for weather and other natural phenomena, including many which are region-specific. Here’s a small collection of a few we’ve discovered. How many of them do you know? We’ll make it easier for you by giving you a list of words and a list of descriptions. Can you match them up?

Here are the words:

1. feadan
2. pirr
3. smeuse
4. grumma
5. kimmeridge

And here are their meanings!

1. the gap in the base of a hedge made by the regular passage of a small animal
2. the light breeze which blows through your armpit hair when you are stretched out sunbathing
3. a mirage caused by mist or haze
4. a light breath of wind, such as will make a cat’s paw on the water
5. a small stream running from a moorland loch

And a bonus question:

6. What is the more commonly used word for what is also known as an aquabob, clinkerbell, cancervell or shuckle in various parts of the country?

Check your answers here!