Have you ever had to bail on a night out because you’re jiggered, or been told to stop chelpin’ because you’re doing someone’s head in?
Local dialect is still very much alive – even if some recent studies found that some words and phrases are dying out amongst the younger generations.
But, unless you know what’s actually being said it can sometimes seem like a load of indecipherable gibberish.
On The Hoot Leeds Facebook page a while back, we asked our readers for some of their favourite sayings and phrases from Leeds.
Here are our picks of some of the best, in honour of Yorkshire Day…
Summat
Meaning: something.
Example: I need summat to do at the weekend.
Sithee / Sithi
Meaning: goodbye, see you later, contraction of ‘See Thee’.
Example: Aye lad, Sithee!
Reet
Meaning: right or very.
Example: We had a reet good night.
Misen
Meaning: myself.
Example: I don’t like cricket much mi’sen.
Bob into
Meaning: To go into
Example: Just gonna bob int’ shop – do you want owt?
Radged
Meaning: angry.
Example: He were radged about his shed being broken into.
Ere mush
Meaning: Hiya, love
Example: Ere mush, how’s you?
Tin Tin Tin
Meaning: ‘t’in’t in’t tin.. as in “It isn’t in the tin”
Ketty
Meaning: nasty or rancid, referring to raw meat, offal or rubbish. From Icelandic or Swedish origin.
Example: We can’t eat this chicken, it’s ketty
Bottle job
Meaning: Someone who backs out when the pressure is too much
Example: What a bottle job, he couldn’t hack it
Jiggered
Meaning: Exhausted or broken
Example: I’m proper jiggered, gonna have to give tonight a miss mate.
Spogs
Meaning: Sweets
Example: Be good and I’ll get you some spoggs later
Laik
Meaning: To play
Example: We’ve come to see if Kelly’s laikin’ out?
Ginnel
Meaning: Narrow alleyway, passage
Example: He just run down that there ginnel, I saw him a minute ago
Ey up
Meaning: ‘watch out’, ‘be careful’, or to be used as a greeting, especially when seeing someone/something you weren’t expected.
Example: Ey up lad! Not seen you in ages.
Capt
Meaning: Shocked, surprised
Example: You got me a present? I’m capt!
Buffet
Meaning: Stool / footstool (pronounced like “tuffet”)
Example: Get your feet off that buffet!
Kegs
Meaning: Trousers
Example: ‘Ere, ‘ave you seen my kegs about?
Chelpin’
Meaning: talking.
Example: Stop chelpin’ and get some work done.
Ding
Meaning: to hit heavily, to knock.
Example: I dinged my car door on the wall getting out earlier. Gutted!
Dollop
Meaning: a lump of something, usually food.
Example: Can I have a dollop of mash wi me pie please?
Featured image – Gary Butterfield via Unsplash
