Readers Share Regional Slang for Weather Sensations

A handful of letters published in early July illustrate the variety of regional British terms used to describe feeling unusually hot or cold. Contributors from Hampshire, County Durham, Cumbria, north-east Scotland and other areas each offered a word that captures a specific temperature-related state, underscoring how local dialects preserve nuanced expressions that may be fading as climate patterns shift.

The Guardian

The letters present four distinct terms: “puthered” for overheating, “shrammed” for extreme cold, “scumfished” for oppressive heat, and “puggled” for a chilly feeling. Each submission links the word to a personal or community memory, suggesting that such vocabulary is tied to lived experience rather than formal lexicons. The writers’ locations—Hampshire, County Durham, Cumbria and north-east Scotland—highlight the geographic spread of these expressions.

The Guardian

Commentators note that the emergence of “puthered” coincides with recent heatwaves, while older terms like “shrammed” recall colder winters of the contributors’ youth. The juxtaposition hints at a possible erosion of cold-weather slang as warmer conditions become more common, raising questions about how climate change may influence everyday language.

The Guardian

• “It was interesting to learn of the word “puthered” to describe the feeling of being overheated (Letters, 9 July).” — *Claire Whatley*, Berwick St James, Wiltshire

The Guardian

• “My parents would often come in from the cold claiming to be “shrammed”.” — *Jan Davinson*, Cumbria

The Guardian

• “Claire Whatley Berwick St James, Wiltshire In County Durham they are “scumfished” by this hot weather.” — *Ian Arnott*, Peterborough

The Guardian

These reader-submitted terms provide a snapshot of how regional speech reflects both historical climate experiences and contemporary weather extremes.

The Guardian