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 |
