your pocket sized guide to understandin’Tnorth

being a northern girl attending a southern

university, you can imagine that my accent

is very noticeable

i’ve made this little book to aid everyone

who has found it difficult to understand

what we northerners say

“a cupper tea and a long sit down today,

shall we pop into town tomorrow?”

a cup-a tea and a long sit-down

a cupper tea and a long sit-down

a cupp er tea and a long sit-down

it’s cold outside today

“did she make us some afters?”

aft-er-s

afters

aft ers

dessert served after dinner

“i’ve just missed me train to Liverpool!”

“hard cheese, you’ll have to catch the next

one and explain why you’re late”

‘ard cheese

hard cheese

hard cheese

term used for bad luck

“mate, it’s raining where’s the brolley?”

brol-ley

brolley

brol ley

term used for an umbrella

“ fancy a brew?”

b-roo

brew

brew

a cup of tea

“do you want a butty for your lunch

tomorrow?”

but-ee

butty

but ty

a sandwich

“i’m completely cabbaged by this maths”

cab-age-d

cabbaged

cabb aged

confusion

“since when did you become

cack-handed?”

cac-han-did

cack-handed

cack-han ded

the name given to a left-handed person

“have you packed your cozzie?”

coz-ee

cozzie

cozz ie

a swim suit

“dab hand mate! ”

dab-and

dab hand

dab h and

someone that is especially skillful at

something

“darrell be a fiver please love”

da-rull

darrell

da rrell

that will be

“ i’m putting the kettle on, do you want a

brew?”

D-y wanna b-roo?

do you want a brew?

do you want a brew?

would you like a cup of tea?

after finding out how long left at university

you have, “ that’s no time at all! ecky thump!”

eck-ee thump

ecky thump

ecky thump

words used in a state of shock or in a

difficult situation

“ you’re dressed for eden”

e-dan

eden

e den

naked

en-ee-rohd

anyroad

an y road

in any case, anyway

“ yes, i got back on friday, anyroad when do

you go away?”

“ let me just put me face on before we go”

fai-ce

face

face

make-up

“ thanks, me feller got them for me”

fell-a

feller

fell er

boyfriend / husband

“ your asking for a fist fulla fives mate! ”

fist full-a fa-ives

fist full of fives

fist full of fives

a punch

“ have you ate all the biscuits? you gannet ! ”

gan-net

gannet

gan net

refers to a hearty eater

“ give us the pepper please”

girr-us

give us

give us

i would like

“ should we put the goggle box on? ”

gog-el box

goggle box

gog gle box

television

“ that isn’t half difficult”

haah-f

half

half

very, indeed

“ if i have another pint, i’ll be half cut ”

haah-f-cut

half-cut

half-cut

intoxicated or half drunk

“ hello, how do? not seen you in a while ”

how do?

how do?

how do?

a greeting meaning ‘how are you’

“ iddle be £5.90 please mate”

iddle

it’ll

it’ll

it will be

“ i’ll be with you in a tick ”

in-a tick

in a tick

in a tick

meaning momentarily

“do you want a brew?”

“i wouldn’t mind, thanks”

i wudden mind

i wouldn’t mind

i would n’t mind

yes please

“ let’s jack it in ”

jack

jack

jack

to quit

“ jib that off ”

jib

jib

jib

to be uncooperative

“ my round to get the jug’s in ”

jug

jug

jug

a pint

“ me kecks are too tight ”

kecks

kecks

kecks

trousers

“ kekka mouth ”

kekka

kekka

kek ka

to shut

“ alright kidda?”

kidd-a

kidda

kid da

affectionate form of address between

men or brothers

“after hearing that i’m laughing bags”

laff- in’ bags

laughing bags

laugh ing bags

to be satisfied, happy, with no worries

“ how’s the littlen getting on?”

little-en

littlen

little n

a child

“clean your lug holes out ”

lug’ole

lug hole

lug hole

an ear

“ i passed my driving test! ”

“ i’m made up for you love, well done”

mai- d-up

made-up

made-up

happy, pleased

“ he’s all mardy because he didn’t get

his own way”

mar-dee

mardy

mar dy

petulant, whining

“ that’s all me fat aunt! ”

me fat aunt

me fat aunt

me fat aunt

rubbish, something unbelievable

“ you’re narky today, what’s up? ”

nark-ee

narky

nar ky

irritable, bad-tempered

“ you locked yourself out? you right noddy ”

nodd-ee

noddy

nodd y

a fool, a simpleton

“ what have you been up to today?”

“ nowt, how about you?”

now-t

nowt

now t

nothing

“ i’m off to the shop, fancy an oggie for

lunch?”

og-gee

oggie

og gie

a cornish pasty made of meat and

potatoes

“ are you off on your olidies this year?”

oli-dees

olidies

oli dies

holidays

“ have you got tickets for the game at the

onion patch next week?”

onion patch

onion patch

on ion patch

anfield football ground

“ make mine a penny monster, please”

pen-ee monsta

penny monster

pen ny mon ster

a large mug of tea

“ that makes me pig sick”

pig sick

pig sick

pig sick

to be very upset about something which

has or has not happened, often because a

wonderful opportunity has been lost

“ these shoes are poxy, they’re falling apart

pox-ee

poxy

pox y

of low grade, unhealthy looking produce

already ”

“quick sticks, you’ll miss the bus”

qu-ic-k st-icks

quick sticks

qui ck sti cks

promptly, soon

“ i’ve raddled my keys”

raddled

raddled

radd led

lost, bewildered

“ the train’s been delayed, real bother ”

real bother

real bother

re al both er

to experiencing unusual difficulty or

inconvenience because of something

“ are kid’s at the door ”

R-kid

are kid

are kid

usually refers to an older brother but can

refer to a younger brother

“ fancy a brew and a scone?”

s-gone

scone

scone

a small lightly sweetened biscuitlike cake

which may contain currents

“ look at that showa ”

show-wa

showa

show a

to describe very good looking things

“ don’t you go stealing my spec ”

spec

spec

spec

best seat in the house, the best viewing

position

“ i bumped into tilly mint today ”

tilly mint

tilly mint

till y mint

said when one forgets someone’s name

“ t-rah for now ”

t -rah

t-rah

t- rah

good bye

“ put that on’t table ”

“ i’m off down t’shops ”

tuh

the / to the

‘t / t’

‘t / t’

“please come with us”

us

us

us

me

“ what’ll that come to?”

worrell

what’ll

what’ ll

what will

“ wossup withi are kid?”

wossup with-ee?

wossup with them?

woss up with them?

how are they doing?

“ when we was kids”

wus

was

was

were

“ ya’ll reet love, what have you been up to? ”

ya’ll reet luv?

ya’ll reet love

ya’ll reet love

a welcoming, are you okay

“ yous come over here”

yews

yous

yous

plural of ‘you’

“ do you have any zubes, me thoat is pretty

bad?”

zubes

zubes

zubes

throat lozengers