Help translating Hick-enese to English

[sigma]

I'm reading Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I tried to link to the text directly, but I guess I don't have enough posts to do that yet. Even though this is about the only time I'm ever going to be on these forums.

"An' when you said you'd report me for usin' obscene language that was `ittin' me over the `ead. But the `arf-quid made that all right."

Most of the time '`' is used instead of 'h'
`ittin' -> hitting
`ead -> head

`arf-quid -> harf-quid? -> ???

What is `arf-quid?

I'm not too certain, but it does appear Bram Stoker always portrays old people as foolish, talking in slang, slurring, but not always mean.

 

[PhilW]

The dropped 'h' is common in many English local accents. Especially in London and areas around the Thames estuary. The 'arf quid' (or 'half quid') is half of an English pound (quid), ten shillings in the currency of Bram Stoker's time or 50 pence nowadays.

 

[sigma]

Thank you. I probably would have been able to figure it out if I knew what a quid was.