Silver Adventures of Captain Joshua Slane -#125 - “Sixty coppers fur a nitch!”

Tuesday afternoon had been a busy one for the crew. They stowed the longboat on the beach of Praia and blocked it off before making their way into the town square. Most shore leaves had a first agenda- finding lodgings, but due to the very low price of silver, Commander Galligan went straight to the silver booths in the center of town.

“Nibble” was the Captain’s orders and nibble they did, first with some of the ship’s coppers and then with their own private stash!

“Braw as silver snails!" Galligan said as he secured the four ounces of silver in a pouch on his waste and shut the chest of coppers up and locked it.

Seaman Ytal, Ickied, Axwellsilver and Azzuar all bought an ounce each and the smiles were spreading fast!

“Blye me these ur guid prices!” Ickied said as he shined his coin with the cuff of his sleeve.
“Aye they ur! Mebbe Ah shoods buy tois..." Axwellsilver said as he admired his coin.

“Tois micht be alrecht, but mair than 'at is probably nae nibblin' at yer pay grade!” Ytal said jokingly.
“Yoo’re probably reit. Th’ moorns nicht micht be e’en better. Ahh’ll bide…”
“Unless ay coorse a Quarter Gunner makes mair than a Caulker's Mucker!” Azzuar chimed in.
“Haw! Haw! Nae likely cheil!” Axwell laughed as they all packed up and joined Commander Galligan.
“Time tae fin' a room an' some scran!" Galligan said cheerfully as he hoisted his sea bag and the coppers chest.
“Rooms…” Ytal reminded.
“Och aye, rooms!” Galligan said as he glanced at her, “Bludy heel! Shair lave is gettin' mair complicated every year!"

Ytal laughed as she put her hand on his shoulder, “But ye loch th' change!"
“Ahh micht..." He smiled.

The aging town of Praia was bustling with sailors, merchants and natives from the mainland. It was difficult to tell one section of town from another, but eventually the group made their way to what seemed primarily pubs and Inns…

“Pestana Inn…” Galligan read as they stopped in front of an old establishment just one block away from the silver booth, “Loo Looks as guid as onie! Let’s tak' a swatch...”

“Bide, Azzuar’s nae allowed!" Axwellsilver said in jest as he pointed to the sign next to the door…

“Th' heel Ahh ainae! Yoo're twice th' dug Ahh am! Gist ask Ytal!” Azzuar shot back, punching Axwell in the arm.
“Yoo're nae pullin' me intae thes! Yoo're baith auld dugs an' ye ken it!” Ytal laughed as did they all.
“'Main 'en, let's gie uir rooms..." Galligan said as he pushed open the door and went in.

The Inn and adjoining pub was busier than it looked from the outside and the crew went right up to the clerk and enquired about the rooms.

“Dae ye hae tois rooms fur th' nicht?” Galligan asked as he dropped his sea bag to the floor beside him.
The gnarled old man behind the counter checked his book, “Tois rooms… Nae, one room an' a nitch...?
“A nitch?” Galligan said in question.
“Aye, a nitch…want it ay not?”
“What’s a nitch?”
“A nitch is like a tad ay mebbe mor likes a sweety.”
“A sweety…?”
“Aye. Ye wants it ay not?”
“Ahh’m nae sure whit ye pure mean mucker?" Galligan said as he eyed the man.
“A nitch! A tad, ay a sweety! It's loch a bitty-wee room!” the clerk said with a slight irritation.
“A bitty-wee room?” Galligan repeated.
“’Att’s reit!”

Galligan turned towards Ytal…

Exhaling loudly she replied, “Och Ahh dornt caur! Diz it hae a bunk?!"
“Aye, a bitty…”
“A bitty-wee bunk!" she interrupted as Galligan chuckled and got out a handful of coppers.
“We’ll takes it. Hoo much?” Galligan said.
“Let's see haur, a hunder an' twintie coppers fur th' room..." the clerk said as he ran his finger down the price list.
“An’ th’ nitch?” Galligan asked.
“Sixty…because….”
“Yeah we got it,” Galligan said, “Coz it's a tad ur a sweety an' it's a bitty-wee room…"
“Reit.”

By now, Ickied, Axwell and Azzuar were busting at the seams in laughter while Ytal gave them a look that would bust a clam.

Vocabulary fur lain lovers:

aff (off), aicht (eight), ainae (am not), alrecht (alright), an’ (and), anither (another), anyain (anyone), athwart (across), att’s (that’s), auld (old),
ay (of)
baith (both), bairn (child), barney (fight), bark (news), bide (wait), blaw (blow), bonnie (pretty), brae (brave), braw (fine),
caller (fresh), cannae (cannot), canty (happy), caur (care), causey (street), cheil (man), chib (knife), coopon (face), coorie (hurry), coz (because), cuddie (horse), cuik (cook)
dae (do), daein (doing), diz (does), doose (douse), dorn't (don't), dug (dog), duir (door),
Eh’d (I’d), enaw (enough)
fa (who), fest (fast), fin’ (find), fok (f-word), fower (four), fur (for)
gae (get), gang (go), gart (made), ginger (soda-pop), gob (mouth), groon (ground), grottie (dirty), guid (good)
haem (home), hasnae (hasn’t), hauld (hold), haur (here), heed (head), hiner (hope), hoo (how), hunder (hundred), huir uv a (very),
it (out)
keks (pants), ken (know), kent (knew)
lain (land), lave (leave), lest (last), lit (let),
main (must), mair (more), mebbe (maybe), micht (might), mingin’ (nasty), moggie (cat), mony (many), morn (morning),
nane (none), ned (steal), nehin (behind), noo (now),
och (oh), onie (any), ower (over),
pit (put), puir (poor), pure (really)
radge (rough), renk (rank), rin (run),
sae (so), Sairrr (Sir), Sassenach (English), cair (score), scart (scratch), scragg (infection), scran (food), shair (shore), six (scuttle), skitin’ (drinking), slainte (cheers), sooth (south), stain (stand), stoaner (hard,strong), staretcht (straight), strang (strong), swally (beer), swin (fool)
tae (to), tak (take), tatties (potatoes), th’ (the), thaur (there), thes (this),
tint (lost), twintie (twenty),
ur (or)
waesucks (sorrow, pity), wark (work), weecht (weight), whit (what), whaur (where), whieest (quiet), win' (wind), wi’ (with), wuid (word)
yak (eye), yin (one thousand)