Names for parts of a house

I have a book, sadly packed for the house move, else I could tell you what it was called, along these lines;

Reminds me of a very old joke about an Irishman applying for a job on a building site who, amazingly, knew his Joist from his Girder, but it doesn't work very well in text.

There's a bit to go at here!

A lot of the terms vary regionally so your local builders may not understand rhones and dwangs for example.

There's a virtual cigar for anyone who can understand what was meant by "wee chuckies" on an estimate.

Owain

Indeed - excellent book. Also google 'illustrated glossary of construction terms'

The Harris Dictionary of Architecture & Construction is well worth downloading, then just search the pdf.

(25MB)

In message , snipped-for-privacy@gowanhill.com writes

Here in Aberdeenshire, chuckies are stones, usually granite, so wee chuckies would be little ones :-)

Chuckies as used to cover areas of garden, drives etc.

Lots of roof related ones defined here:

Some timber framing ones here:

Some joinery ones:

Is a "Wee Boar-hair" still a recognised unit?

Nope, but wee baw hairs are. as in "take a baw hair oaf that" i.e. it is SLIGHTLY oversize

Even finer is 'a midgie baw hair' (gnat ball[testicle] hair).

Both these are highly technical terms ;O)

Ah yes! a much loved old joke from the days when building sites were full of 'Paddys' before they took to banking and technology.

It was an over-educated Irish graduate iirc, or even an aspiring poet or playwrite, WBYeats on the building site sort of.

TW

Close.

Grit for pebble-dashing.

Nae cigar but you can hae a buttery.

Owain

Not sure I like the sound of this one!

Well, I've never heard that, but I'll ask a local builder friend :-)

Thank ye

Small stones. Most common sort would be on a path etc.

Grit is closer to sand than chuckies. The small stones used for the pebble dash could I suppose be called chuckies. But as 'News' said, they are more usually rough granite chippings rather than smooth pebbles.

That would be a rowie in chuckie land.

Yes and no. "Buttery" is a rowie's "Sunday name" when you're trying to be a wee bit posh. ;-)

Tim

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

I was going to say that, but I think rowie is pure Aberdeen. Here in the shire, buttery or butt'ry is more common.