A list of the iconic words in the north have been revealed- and Leeds is not what you’d think

Surely it’d be ‘reyt’, right?

28th November 2022

2 minute read

A new study has been looking into the most iconic slang words of the north- and it’s safe to say it’s left us a little confused.

A new study from Preply has revealed that there are plenty of slang words synonymous with cities across the UK, including some rather unusual ones.

Here in Leeds it’s common to hear the likes of ‘mardy’ and ‘chuddy’ in a thick Yorkshire accent, but apparently it’s got far more to do with fellow Yorkshire city Sheffield, than our own.

It’s not ‘reyt’, ‘chuffin’ or ‘ey up’ either, the top words for Leeds is actually ‘gill’, which means a half pint, and whilst this certainly isn’t the first word to come to mind for us, it’ is certainly a well known Leeds slang that’s clearly stood the test of time.

Gill means half pint, and you can grab any of the Bundobust Brewery beers in a gill serving in Leeds. / Image: The Hoot Leeds

This is followed by ‘scraps’ – ‘the lovely loose bits of batter on your traditional Northern chippy’.

And it’s not just Leeds-own slang that’s got the country talking about us, apparently Leeds also has the highest number of ‘slang addresses’ in the country- meaning there’s 17 different road names with slang like ‘butt’ and ‘balm’, courtesy of Butt Lane and Balm Place, in them.

The top slang for other northern cities is as followed:

Birmingham: Babby – term of endearment meant for people you know quite well

Bristol: Drive – reference to bus and taxi drivers

Liverpool: Chocka – busy

London: Dapper – reference to a man dressed in a fashionable and tidy way

Manchester: Our Kid – sibling

Sheffield: Mardy- moody

Glasgow: Stoater – someone who is fantastic

Leicester: Jitty – a passageway or alleyway

Leeds: Gill – a half pint