Somewhen, Grockle & Other Unique Words from the Isle of Wight

What does "Somewhen" mean?

One of the more unusual, yet familiar words used by folk on the Isle of Wight is the word "Somewhen." The word translates to "sometime or other," and is used in the same relaxed way the word "mañana," is used in Spanish speaking countries. 

My first encounter with the word came from it's daily use by my fiancée—a born-and-bred islander who grew up listening to many of the traditional words used by islanders. 

Today, the word somewhen, used lovingly in day-to-day conversation adds to the unique character of the Isle of Wight, sometimes adopted by visitors to the island. Especially those who extend their stay, or who visit on many occasions over the years. 

As part of our quirky collection of unique jewellery designs, we'll often add a flavour of the Isle of Wight, with Isle of Wight word necklaces, in addition to the Isle of Wight shaped necklaces in our range. Most of these are created in our own Ryde workshop by our team, including the latest Somewhen Necklace, crafted with a book-style font in a higgledy piggledy formation to add an eccentric flavour to the finished design with its nibbled edges. 

Caulkhead 

Other words familiar to people visiting the Isle of Wight include the terms "Caulkhead," a word used to describe a person native of the Isle of Wight with at least three generations of ancestry on the Isle of Wight. The name derives from the practice of  Caulking ships, a process used to waterproof vessels by applying a type of wadding to ships. This work was often done by Islanders who were jokingly referred to as Caulkheads. 

We chose this word for another one of our whimsical jewellery designs—The Isle of Wight Caulkhead Necklace added recently to our coastal collection. 

Grockle and Overner

Grockle

A word every Islander knows and most visitors soon learn, "Grockle" is the affectionately gruff term for a holidaymaker or tourist crossing the Solent for a taste of Island life. Its origins are hazy — some trace it to a 1950s comic strip character, others to older West Country slang — but by the time the term reached the Isle of Wight it had settled into cheerful local shorthand, used with a wink rather than a sting. Say it to a native and you'll likely get a knowing smile; it's a word that belongs to the summer season, to queues for the chain ferry, ice creams eaten too quickly, and roads suddenly busier than they were in April. Far from an insult, "Grockle" has become something the Island wears with pride — a nod to the visitors who fall in love with the place, year after year, and keep coming back.

Overner

"Overner" carries a different weight. Where a Grockle passes through for a week or a fortnight, an Overner is someone who has come to stay — a mainlander who's made the Island their home, whether that happened last year or three decades ago. It's a gentler word, often used without any edge at all, though longstanding Islanders have been known to use it (fondly, usually) to remind newer residents that true Island roots take generations to grow. Unlike Grockle, which is tied to the fleeting rhythm of a holiday, Overner speaks to a kind of permanence — to choosing the Island as home, even if the accent, or the family tree, gives you away as "from over the water."

The distinction, in short

It's fitting, then, that the Grockle Necklace takes its name from a word so bound up with love of the Island — because visitors, in the end, are often the ones who fall hardest for this place. Crafted in recycled sterling silver, the piece is a quiet celebration of that affection: a keepsake for the Grockle who never quite left the Island behind, and equally, for the Overner who still remembers what it felt like to visit for the very first time. Whether you're marking a lifetime of summers on the Wight or the moment you decided to stay for good, it's a small piece of the Island's language you can carry with you, long after the ferry's sailed home.