Rorming - Is It A Real Word?

[Bert]

When I was young, about 50 years ago, my father used to say that a restless child was 'rorming', i.e moving about aimlessly, unable to settle down. The word is not in my dictionary. Does anybody out there know the word? We lived on the Lancashire/ Cheshire border, if that's any help.

[bazwillrun]

i cant remember the last time I typed something into google and it came up with nada, zip,.....rorming has done it though I'm impressed

[delboy3]

Are you sure he didn't say "roaming" with a strong Northern accent?

[boxtops]

delboy, that's just what I was going to say - I can make the OA sound like OR!

[pixie373]

Roaming sounds more likely?

[2sp_]

This is what I found -

http://www.sbjx.com/html_products/Keel-Steel-Roll-Rorming-Machine%E2%85%A0-38.html

And I've no idea what it actually is...

[jno]

not far down this page

http://wire-lect.blogspot.co.uk/p/your-comments.html

[delboy3]

2sp I think that's a typo on the website?

[jno]

that page on dialect gives the same meaning as your dad's, Bert. So yes, it's a real word, just not Quuen's English. But dialect words are real ones.

[2sp_]

I thought that too, delboy, then I found this too -

http://www.google.com/patents/US20010055670

[2sp_]

I hasten to add that I don't think either of my links have anything to do with Bert's dad's use of the word!

[jomifl]

Of course it's a word, I've seen it on his very poage.

[2sp_]

jomifl, does that make poage a word too?

;-)

[jomifl]

I think it doaes.

[Buenchico]

I've just checked the full version of the Oxford English Dictionary. 'Rorm' (or 'rorming') isn't there.

However one of the old definitions of 'roam' was 'to toss or roll about', which may have been derived from 'rame', meaning 'to flail or roll about'.

Perhaps there's a connection?

[jomifl]

Perhaps it is a corruption of 'worm' ie to wriggle.

[factor-fiction]

My aunts, grandparents used to say something similar- "stop rawling around". I remember being puzzled when I found it wasn't in the dictionary.

[Bert]

Thanks all - especially jno. The word was definitely rorming (spelling debatable as it's not in the dictionary), not roaming. My Dad did not have a strong northern accent, and I would have heard the difference between 'roam' and 'rorm', though there could be a connection as Buenchico suggests. I am pretty sure that other references (both 2sp_ ) are typos for 'forming'.

[Robinia]

In the Nottingham area we used to say orming...as in idling, mooching etc

[jno]

you're welcome. I sometimes wonder if dialect words are as well recorded as they might be, but I don't know whether it's worth telling the Oxford Dictionary people about it; they seem chiefly interested in mainstream Engish.

[jno]

I can see Warrington and Nottingham going to war over this.