Free the Word: Geg in

28 September 2017

City of Geg ins by Chris McCabe

BBC Radio Merseyside

Geg in by Chris McCabe

To interrupt; to butt in. From listeners to BBC Radio Merseyside.

...as families picnic on the steps that face the docks, scents of deep-fried waffles, cookies, chips, drift along the fountains towards the Dockmaster’s House.

def | to butt in.

A rich seam of distinctive local vocabulary can be found in Merseyside, from words such as antwacky (old-fashioned) and jarg (fake), to the expressions soft lad and away for slates (an Irish phrase meaning ‘on the way to success’). Geg in is a relatively recent addition to the region’s vocabulary. A person is said to be gegging in when they try to involve themselves in a conversation or activity without having been invited. Someone trying too eagerly to join in where they are unwelcome might be told to Stop gegging in!

Read more on the OED Blog

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