Local Dialect
New to Brickwerks? thinking of ringing? maybe you should read this page to assist you in trying to communicate with us!
Or, heaven forbid a visit to our premises could leave you dumbfounded!
addle | earn |
allus | always |
am bahn | I'm leaving |
appen | perhaps |
appy as a pig in sh*t | very happy, content with oneself |
a*se over t*t | head over tail |
aye | yes |
b'aht | without |
bad 'un | no good |
badly | not in a good state of health, i.e.'How's Martha?', 'She's badly.' |
bagsey | childhood term, i.e. 'bagsey my turn!' |
bairn | child |
bait | snack |
bait, bait box | snack / packed lunch |
be reyt | it'll be alright |
belt | hit, thrash |
best y'do | see that you do |
beuwer | Unactractive girl |
black as ace a'spades | very dirty |
black bright | very dirty |
blubberin | crying |
bog | toilet |
bonce | head |
bonny | pretty |
bracken | ferns |
bray/braying | beating e.g. "you'll get a good braying" or "I'll bray you" |
britches | trousers, knickers |
budge, budge up | move, move up |
buggerlugs | endearing term for a cheeky child |
butty, butties | sandwich, sandwiches |
cack-handed | left-handed, clumsy |
callin’ | talking or gossiping |
can't be ars*d | can't be bothered |
champion | excellent |
chelpin' | talking |
chippy, chip 'ole | fish and chip shop |
chuckin(g) y'guts up | being sick |
chuddy | chewing gum |
chuffed | pleased, excited |
clout | cloth or slap |
cole 'ole | coal cellar |
couldn't organise a p*** up in a brewery. | badly organised, can't do anything right |
courtin’ | going out with, dating. |
coyt | coat |
daft as a boat horse | stupid |
daft as a brush | stupid |
daft as a posser 'ed | stupid |
dale | valley |
delve | dig |
down't (road) | down the (road) |
dunt | don't, doesn't. |
ead | head |
eck | hell |
eeh by gum | oh my God |
ey up | Hello, look out, be careful |
faffing | messing about |
fair t' middlin | fair to middling, in the middle |
famished | hungry, starving |
fast | stuck |
fettle | to tidy/mend |
flaggin’ | getting tired |
flags | paving stones |
flippin 'eck | (flipping heck) exclamation of shock and surprise |
flit | move house |
flitin' | moving house, Doing a flit. Midnight flit – moving without telling anyone. |
flower | term of endearment, “Alright flower?” |
flummox, flummoxed | confuse, puzzle, confused |
frame | get a move on |
fratch | quarrel |
friggin' | a curse |
frozzed, frozn | referring to face or fingers being very cold |
gaffer | boss |
gander | look at |
gassin | talking, usually when you should be working |
gear | items, things |
gi' over | give over, stop it |
ginnell | Alleyway between houses. |
gip, gipping | retch, retching |
giz, gizza, gizzyer | give, give us, give your |
good 'un | good one |
goodies | sweets |
goosegog | gooseberry |
gradley | grand |
guff | fart |
gunna | going to |
ham fisted | clumsy |
hell fire! | goodness me! |
in a bit | bye |
in't | in the |
jammy | very lucky |
jiggered | very tired |
kayli | sherbert |
kaylied | drunk |
keks | trousers/underwear |
kiddin(g) | telling a fib, joking |
Laik, laikin | Play, Playing (i.e. "Is your Lesley coming out to laik?") |
lass | girl/young woman/wife |
lavvy | Lavatory, Toilet |
leg | throw |
lig, ligging | Lay, laying |
lug, lug'ole | ear, ear hole |
manky | not nice, unpleasant |
mardy | moody, sulky, stroppy |
mashin’ | a brew of tea |
maungy | spoilt or peevish |
midden | outside toilet (usually earth closet) dungheap, rubbish tip |
middlin’ | moderate, average |
mind | watch out for |
minging | horrible, unpleasant |
missen | Myself e.g. "I'll do it missen" |
mithered, mitherin(g) | irritated with something, as in "stop mitherin' me" is "stop bothering/irritating me". |
moff | I'm Off, I'm leaving |
monk on | to be grumpy, to have a sulky face |
more brass n'brains | more money than sense |
mun | must, will |
mungry | I'm hungry |
munt | mustn't |
narky | moody, sulky, stroppy, (mardy) |
near as makes n'matter | close enough |
neb | nose |
neither use nor ornament | expression of disapproval; useless |
nesh | cold. Often exclaimation that an individual is 'soft' for feeling the cold or term of mild abuse e.g. "nesh southerners!" |
nobbut | Nothing but |
not back'ard at comin' for'ard | (not backward at coming forward) pushy person, Overconfident. |
not enough room to swing a cat | very small room, cramped |
nouse | sense |
now then | hello |
nowt | nothing |
oh aye?! | oh really?! |
ovver | over |
ow do | Greeting, how do, how do you do. |
owt | anything |
pack it in | stop it |
paggered | knackered e.g. "I'm completely paggered" or "I've just paggered my dad's car" |
parkin | ginger cake made with oats |
parky | chilly, cold |
pawse | kick |
playin’ pop | telling someone off |
podgy | fat or chubby person |
pop | fizzy drink |
pot washin' | washing up |
put wood in't ole | shut the door |
puvverin | Pouring, as in smoke “Smoke wer puvverin aat”, Smoke was pouring out. |
rack a't eye | By the rack of the eye, judgement by eye of accuracy of lengths etc |
radged | Mad, angry |
ratty | grumpy |
real | good or outstanding |
reckon | think |
reeks | smells horrible |
reight | right |
rive | tear up or split |
rum'n | Cheeky/bit of a character e.g. "He's a rum'n", a rum one. |
s*** with sugar on | over-elaborate, posh food |
sarnies | sandwiches |
Scarborough Warning | bad behaviour that will result in a punishment, i.e. "You better watch it, you're on a Scarborough warning young lady". |
scran | food |
scrodger | Screwdriver |
seethee | do you see? Understrand (often used at the end of a sentence) |
sh' in't in | she isn't in |
shuft up | make more room (when sat together) |
side/ side the pots | clear/ clear the table |
silin’ | raining heavily |
sithee | goodbye (see thee) |
slart | splash |
snap | food |
sneck | iron door latch or nose |
snicket | small alleyway or footpath, a short cut. |
spell | splinter of wood in the skin |
spice | sweets |
spoggs | sweets |
sprog | child |
spuggy | sparrow |
stair rods, p*ssing stair rods | heavy rain. |
stalled | out of patience, fed up |
strand | shore |
suited | pleased |
summat | something |
sup | drink |
sup up | drink up |
ta | thanks |
tarra | bye |
tek | take |
thee, tha | you |
think on | remember |
thissen | yourself |
throng | Commotion |
throng on | very busy |
Tyke | Yorkshireman, woman or dog - not always complimentary |
un | one |
underdrawin' | loft (in a house) |
utch up | make more room (when sat together) |
vexed | angry |
waint | won't |
wang | throw |
watter | water |
well, I'll go to't foot of't stairs/ I'll go to our house | expression of amazement |
were ya born in a barn? | you've left the door open: close it! |
where's it at? | where is it? |
while | until e.g. "I'm working while seven" |
wick | alive or lively |
yon, yonder | over there |