Hi,

I have never been to Sheffied and, in fact, live in the U.S. A few questions have come up recently between myself and some friends regarding the Sheffield dialect. While looking on the internet for an answer, I stumbled across this forum and thought I'd place a post to see if anyone could provide an answer.

The question is this:

Does the Sheffield dialect ever use the word "were" in place of "was"? For example, "She were.." instead of "She was.." Or in any other context where "was" might be replaced by "were"?

I also have another, unrelated question about England in general. Has it been the case at all that poker has become more popular in recent months or years? For example, are there televised poker games or tournaments or any type of new "poker trend" that you have noticed?

I realize my questions probably sound kind of strange but I would really appreciate any response you could provide. Thanks very much.

Does the Sheffield dialect ever use the word "were" in place of "was"?

Yep, and then there's "I work 9 while five" instead of "I work nine til five".

Has it been the case at all that poker has become more popular in recent months or years?

I'd say so. This may partly be down to the fact that with the advent of such things as Sky Digital, we've had hundreds of channels that have to fill their airtime!

Am still waiting for Bravo or Men & Motors to combine Women's Poker, Topless Darts, Mud Wrestling and some others into a Saturday night trashy telly marathon. Surely only a matter of time...

Thanks hotphil, much appreciated.

Do you think you, or anyone else, could give me an example sentence?

chasin' yaws up a'nt daaan fell' snappin' n' bitin'

i'l fill thee full of bloody lead....

Poker is something we use to stir up the fire...hence "poke the fire"....or you don't look at the mantlepiece when poking the fire...although that might be something slightly different..lol

Originally posted by shelley
Has it been the case at all that poker has become more popular in recent months or years? For example, are there televised poker games or tournaments or any type of new "poker trend" that you have noticed?

Yeah, because we had an english guy in the finals of the Poker world series in Las Vegas it gets shown on late night Cable/Satellite TV. Sky|One (basically our version of FoxTV, owned by same bloke) shows programs about poker and las vegas all the time. Infact one guy the other day had a show where he bet his entire life contents (house, car etc.) on Red or Black :o (he won though!)

Annoyingly, TiVo isnt as popular here as it deserves to be :cry:

Not noticed the poker I'm affraid.

I'd say that the Sheffield accent isn't that broad (deviant from "normal" English) but as you travel north there is a tendancy for the accent to become a stronger Yorkshire accent. For instance, 15 miles away is a place called Barnsley where the accent can become very broad.
Check this link for a past posting on the subject.

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11463&highlight=barnsley+accent

I think the Shefffield accent is diluted because of the number of incomers. Students, academics, medical worker etc.

Originally posted by shelley
Thanks hotphil, much appreciated.

Do you think you, or anyone else, could give me an example sentence?

"She said she were going to go home at 4 but I tolt (sic) her we work 9 while 5 here"

Saying she were, he were etc. is not specifically Sheffield, is really general Yorkshire (Not sure if they say that in Lancashire or anywhere else northern?)

"9 while 5" is surely pure Sheffield, I've never heard that anywhere else, first time I heard it I just thought "did you just say while instead of until, what planet are you on???" I say some Yorkshire expressions, but I don't think I will ever use this one, just doesn't sound right to my ear.

What about "me sen" instead of "myself" is that just Sheffield or Yorkshire generally?

I have ofen pondered whether being from Yorkshire is like being from texas, as far as dialect goes is it comparible?

I think northeners are more laid back thus our dialect a little more lazy, I assume like a Texan drawl.

ooowasheewee

who was she with

She were and He were are also used in north Nottinghamshire, where I was born. 'I were' is also used.

For example -
'He were right cowd' (pronounced 'code') meaning 'He was very cold.'

We also used the 'me sen' for myself.

Other phrases I remember being used there that I hear here in Sheffield were :

Mardy - sulky, easily upset.
Arr lass - our lass, usually referring to a man's wife.
Arr young 'un - our child.
Me mam - My mother
Me duck - general form of affection. E.g.

'It were right cowd, me duck' - It was very cold, my dear / darling / whatever form of affection you want.

Anyway, I'd better gerron wi' me work.

Joe

Isn't Mardy a Sheffield/South Yorkshireism?

As in "gerrup yer gret jessy, that just a mardy get"

Another one is the use of 'right'

i.e.

I phone in sick this morning because I wasn't feeling right well*

or

That pasty I had for my lunch was right nice**

*Not true, I'm in work now
**Fact. It was 'Greggstastic'.

Originally posted by Yodameister
"9 while 5" is surely pure Sheffield, I've never heard that anywhere else, first time I heard it I just thought "did you just say while instead of until, what planet are you on???" I say some Yorkshire expressions, but I don't think I will ever use this one, just doesn't sound right to my ear.


Nope, I'm from Oldham and we use that there also. Sounds completely natural to me!

shurrup rooarin

stop crying

As far as correct English usage goes, it just isn't right.

There's nothing wrong with that, I like it that there are different dialects, and I like the fact that when my parents come up here they can't understand people as well as I can. But there is nothing funny or surprising about me being surprised at the usage of while instead of until.

Do Sheffield born and bred people ever use the word until?
I know that not everyhting I say is totally correct English, I'm not having a go at anyone I'm just interested.

Originally posted by Yodameister
As far as correct English usage goes, it just isn't right.

There's nothing wrong with that, I like it that there are different dialects, and I like the fact that when my parents come up here they can't understand people as well as I can. But there is nothing funny or surprising about me being surprised at the usage of while instead of until.

Do Sheffield born and bred people ever use the word until?
I know that not everyhting I say is totally correct English, I'm not having a go at anyone I'm just interested.


i might say to my daughter..tha dunt get thi spendin money until that shuts thi cake oil

Wow - thanks for all the responses.

The "was" "were" question arose after watching a film in which one of the actors is from Sheffield (Sean Bean). I was convinced that I'd heard him say "were" in places where I would say "was" several times but this was disputed among some friends. (I also work at an English language institute at a university so I have a sort of interest in such things).


As far as the poker is concerned, I am an avid poker player and run a website devoted to it. I was wondering if England was a growing market in terms of interest in poker. Currently it is huge in the U.S.

In response to the person who referenced the Texas accent. I live in Michigan - pretty far from Texas and also not known in the U.S. for any type of very distinctive accent. I did at one point, however, run into a comparison of the Michigan and Texas accent that made the following distinction:
Michigan: Got inta'a baad AKcidih' with my rennel cahrr.
Texas: Got inta a bay-ed wreck in mah rent cawr.

Thanks again, everyone!

Sean Bean has a Sheffield accent whatever character he plays.. whether he's from Ireland or Middle Earth LOL

"Nah then Gandalph, thar gret gangly get.. whattsup wi'thee?"

Shelley,

Have you seen the film 'The Full Monty'?

Now that WILL give you an ear full of Sheffield chatter!

Joe

Or reight m8 what tha bin up2 den!!!!!!

sheffield what a place eh!!!!!

A few years back on telly Jeremy Clarkson did say Texas was America's answer to Yorkshire.
Not entirely with him on that one.



I always think Sean Bean sounds ridiculous in movies - alongside American actors who all sound Hollywoodish, his local accent sounds really out of place. I can't take him seriously in his roles, cos I just imagine him walking down Brammall Lane on match day.

Its wierd, cos it's my accent, so it should sound normal to me, but it sounds stupid in American movie context.

Originally posted by jackthedog
I always think Sean Bean sounds ridiculous in movies


I agree, esp. in LotR: FotR :lol:

"EEeeeeeeee Gandalf"

That's interesting because to me, the accent sounds rather nice although I guess can't describe why exactly.

Though you're probably aware of this, I might point out that in general, Americans aren't used to differentiating various regional accents within England. It all just sounds like "English accent" which when heard alongside American accents, as in films, often gives an impression of the person being either snobby or well-educated, depending on the context. It is an odd phenomenon.

I have seen The Full Monty but can't remember the accent distinctly. I'll have to check it out again. I saw Sean Bean in the Sharpe series - of which I am a big fan.

Originally posted by shelley
That's interesting because to me, the accent sounds rather nice although I guess can't describe why exactly.

Though you're probably aware of this, I might point out that in general, Americans aren't used to differentiating various regional accents within England. It all just sounds like "English accent" which when heard alongside American accents, as in films, often gives an impression of the person being either snobby or well-educated, depending on the context. It is an odd phenomenon.

I have seen The Full Monty but can't remember the accent distinctly. I'll have to check it out again. I saw Sean Bean in the Sharpe series - of which I am a big fan.

So, would you say Sean Bean has a similar accent to, say, Hugh Grant?

To me, those two accents are like chalk and cheese.
So many Brits in US film and television adopt the 'Benjamin British' accent, which involves a lot of polite
erm, yes, but, erm, of course, erm, naturally, yes, erm, stutter stutter

for an example, see hugh grant in any film :D

Originally posted by RPG
This moderator was nasty to you in another thread earlier so you placed him on your ignore list. To view the post click here

:P

I have noticed that people say 'oil' instead of 'hole' as well.

Shelley,

When I was in Canada and Alaska many 'locals' thought I was an Australian. I don't have a particularly strong accent because my mum always insisted that I 'spoke properly' from a very early age.

It was quite funny - my mum would have a definite 'phone voice' and she would always expect me to speak in that way.

Joe

Originally posted by jackthedog
So, would you say Sean Bean has a similar accent to, say, Hugh Grant?

To me, those two accents are like chalk and cheese.
So many Brits in US film and television adopt the 'Benjamin British' accent, which involves a lot of polite


for an example, see hugh grant in any film :D

God yeah that really annoys me. Its such a bad and old fashioned stereotype.

Helen Baxendale's character in friends (Emily) was sooooo annoying!!!! I just wanted to smack her!!!

The only character I can think of on an American show without that hidious accent is Daphne in Frasier (and the actual actress is from down south)

(Phew, rant over)

thats funny because when I was in Florida a couple of years ago, a local thought we were Aussies too. I can't see the similarity myself. It was fun over there though because there were way fewer Brits there than I thought there would be and we were like performing monkeys in the shops. We had a bit of a crowd going in the HUGE WalMart.. "hey, say this..." LOL
I thought America felt more 'foreign' than say Spain or France.. know what I mean?

For me I can definitely tell the difference between Sean Bean's accent and Hugh Grant's. I would venture to say, however, that this is not the case with most Americans. I mean, if you hear them speak side-by side, people might notice a difference. Otherwise, I doubt people notice. This is also somewhat true in distinguishing accents from Ireland, South Africa, and Australia. I would say that many people would have a hard time identifying from which country an accent comes from. Since a majority of the country doesn't see a lot of tourists, don't see much, if any, foreign media, and can't afford long flights to other areas of the world, people are just not used to making these distinctions. However, I don't want to make too many generalizations, since this is not the case for many.

Doesn't Sean Bean still live in Sheffield?

i know his family still live in Handsworth

But I think he lives with the lovies in London.

'ear all, see all, say nowt,
eat all, sup all, pay nowt,
and if thou ever does owt for nowt,
alwaz do it fur th'sen

translation:
hear all, see all, say nothing,
eat all, drink all, pay nothing,
and if you ever do anything for nothing,
always do it for yourself.

Doesn't have the same ring to it somehow!!! :D

Another one, slightly less common is pronouncing water as "watter". A lot of people I know who generally have a yorkshire/Sheffield accent don't pronounce it like that. But I think it is proper Sheffield.

The 'watter' pronounciation was also one from my North Notts. childhood (Warsop, in case anyone's interested, just south or Worksop).

Whilst not a dialect thing, we Warsopians were supposed to have a problem with closing doors behind us - hence the term of endearment 'Was tha' born in a barn or does tha' come from Waasup'.

Shelley
If you want to hear the broader Yorkshire accent, search out a film called "Kes".
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007DWR1/026-8669102-0601218
It's a cracking film but I'm not sure how it will come across over in the US.

Is it just sheffielders that say things like ...

it's laggin it daahn ?? (it's raining heavy)
or stop roorin' (crying) or is that just general yorkshire !!

I love yorkshire-isms :)

The late Tony Capstick - radio presenter , coined a phrase to describe Sheffielders , especially those from the east end -Attercliffe district . "Dee -Dahs " as in - " Nah den are dee gooin daan deah "

Originally posted by kirky
i might say to my daughter..tha dunt get thi spendin money until that shuts thi cake oil

What an earth is cake - oil?

Originally posted by Yodameister
Saying she were, he were etc. is not specifically Sheffield, is really general Yorkshire (Not sure if they say that in Lancashire or anywhere else northern?)

I say He were/she were - or use the word "were" inplace of "was" but if writing down, I write down "Was" feel more comfortable :loopy: with saying "were", sometimes revert back to "Was".

Alex

Originally posted by Cols
Shelley
If you want to hear the broader Yorkshire accent, search out a film called "Kes".
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007DWR1/026-8669102-0601218
It's a cracking film but I'm not sure how it will come across over in the US.

"Kes" Wasn't that something to do with Barnsley? Can't remember the content, mind!

Alex

Cake oil is tha gob!

(or mouth ;))

Eh up a'h kid !
Aa'll tell thi summat fer nowt!
If tha' no.s nowt, say nowt,
an 'appen nobody'll notice.


Late Night Poker (http://www.latenightpoker.tv/) on TV is about the only poker i have seen.
im not sure if this has made poker anymore popular here in the UK. it was only on for one hour a week after midnight, exelent viewing if you like poker, im not sure if its still running now?

i have also seen quite a few cassino's open in the UK over the years. Sheffield has 3 if im not mistaken but from what i see, it hasent made poker any more popular than it were/was here in Sheffield.

Originally posted by amhudson119
What an earth is cake - oil?

Tha's gorrit under thi sneck. ;)

my favourite:

tintintin
=
It isn't in the tin.

Originally posted by Cols
Shelley
If you want to hear the broader Yorkshire accent, search out a film called "Kes".
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007DWR1/026-8669102-0601218
It's a cracking film but I'm not sure how it will come across over in the US.

Thanks for the tip. Looks like a good film but is ufortunately unavailalble in the US and is in some kind of DVD format that doesn't work over here. too bad.

Hi Shelly,

The company I work for designed and built a website on the history of the north of Sheffield. Follow this link, Home Truths (http://www.ourselvesourplace.org.uk/index.php), to have a look. To hear old 'uns from the north of Sheffield talking about their memories of the past,
Voices of Experience (http://www.ourselvesourplace.org.uk/mv-1-1.php)

Sam

Originally posted by RPG
Cake oil is tha gob!

(or mouth ;))


Cake oil? Don't you mean Cake hole

:)

Originally posted by Abdul
Cake oil? Don't you mean Cake hole

:)

Someone asked what "Cake Oil" was on the other page ;)

Originally posted by Tony
Tha's gorrit under thi sneck. ;)

You have it under your lock/catch? :confused: :lol:

I know Rob. But all this slang was making my head spin.

er.....mekkin ma 'ed spin :thumbsup:

Cake hole is Liverpool slang, too