How much Manx do people on the Isle of Man really know? That was the question put to passers-by on Strand Street in Douglas one sunny afternoon.

The Manx language, once widely spoken on the island, is now much rarer, though still taught in schools and used in public life. To gauge public knowledge, islanders were asked a simple question: What is one Manx phrase you know?

Responses varied, with some confidently recalling phrases and others admitting they knew little.

Trevor Shimmin said: ‘All right there fella, Doolish and Moghrey Mie. I haven’t got a clue what Moghrey Mie means - but I know the word.’

Giovanni Robba, who has lived on the island for more than 30 years, said: ‘I am ashamed to say that I have been here 31 years, and unfortunately I don’t know any phrase at all.’

Caitie Tate, originally from the United States, has lived on the island for 28 years. She said: ‘I’ve got a few – Moghrey Mie yessir.’ She added that she can count from one to 10 in Manx: ‘Nane, jees, tree, kiare, queig, shey, shiaght, hoght, nuy, jeih.’

Another unusual contribution came from Graham Joughin, who offered the phrase ‘Sniegan butt’. When asked to explain, he replied: ‘Well, you’ve got to be Manx, you see. If you talk to one of these old Manx farmers, they’ll tell you what a sniegan butt is.’

Further research showed that ‘sniegan’ translates as ‘ant’ and ‘butt’ as ‘heap’. Mr Joughin explained: ‘It is a clump of grass in a field that hasn’t been grazed for a long time – it turns into a wildlife paradise.’

Finally, Lynn Maddrell offered a well-known phrase: ‘Traa dy liooar – tomorrow will do.’ This is often translated more loosely as ‘time enough’.

The short street survey suggested that while knowledge of Manx phrases is patchy, many islanders still recognise words and expressions that connect to the island’s heritage.