Old Sheffield dialect

[carosio 186]

When in a supermarket in Newton Stewart, S.W.Scotland, I asked where are the teacakes and they didn't know what I meant. Forget what their name for them was.

[sharrovian 10]

I remember my Grandma back in the 1950s using the words "ganzy" which I believe was a cardigan and "childer" meaning children.

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

I've lived all over the country, and some of these 'Sheffield' words aren't at all.

 

 

I have to agree with the above, many of the "words" are used elsewhere besides Sheffield. Maybe they started in our part of Yorkshire, but they have spread far and wide that's for sure.

 

Lakin, around us means missing a shift at work on purpose when there is nowt wrong with you.

 

Angel1.

[sedith 19]

Never be ashamed of your local dialect, its what makes England so diverse.

[I1L2T3 10]

nesh and mardy i know that this has never been heard of down south, not sure about nesh

aunty x

 

My mum uses the word 'nesh'. She's from Liverpool

[kay1 13]

When I was working on a care of the elderly ward a Doctor asked a lady how "she was today" and she said to him I'm starved to death he turned straight the nurse who was looking after the patient and asked why she wasn't eating, we had to explain that it was a Sheffield expression that she wasn't very warm.

[Margarita Ma 10]

It's still bad use of English.

 

It's wrong and confusing. Consider:

 

"Wait at the lights while they change to green".

 

And?

While. A period of time.

Until. Denotes waiting for something.

 

 

My teachers used to tell me that the dialect words I used were slang.

The Queen's English is actually derived from several foreign languages and when she's gone it will be the king's English and still evolving. See the various editions of the Oxford English Dictionary. And as for spelling, there was no standard spelling of anything until Dr Johnson decided there should be a standard and published his dictionary. Hence Americans still have their own style of spelling the English Language.

Until Great Britain was under one rule there were several languages used in the different countries that became one Nation. The process of subjugation made concerted efforts to wipe out these languages (and different styles of dress such as the Kilt) so that spies could understand what was being said, to thwart attempts at insurrection. What we have left is small gems of our old languages. My father would call me "Ma ghoal" I think that is the correct spelling but cannot be sure. I mistook this for "My girl" it actually means "My dear" in Gaelic.

Jamaicans have their Patoir, Sheffielder's have their own versions of old dialect and there is nothing wrong with this. Why is it that when variations in, say French or German are encountered this is called Dialect but when regional differences in English are encountered some people think that it is somehow a lower form of language to be looked down on and denigrated. just because you don't understand it does not mean it is not able to be understood.

The only benefit of a common language is that we can communicate with a wider range of people.

 

 

An old favourite:

Nur-nur-nur-nur-ner. A childhood taunt when escaping from someone.

 

Ahhm fair frozzen. I am very cold.

 

Ehyup lad/lass weres tha goo-in. used to address friends met by chance. Hello young man/lady where are you going to.

Oven Bottoms. A very large bread cake cooked at a low level in the oven.

Ees fair houwkin. Coughing violently to expel mucus.

Tha looks perished. Often said in winter when asking someone into the house. You look so cold that you could be dead.

 

---------- Post added 19-03-2016 at 21:40 ----------

 

In West Yorkshire they refer to 'lakin' about i.e. playing about (particularly relates to kids out playing). Is this something also used in Sheffield?

Yes we were often told to "Stop lakin ahbahht that gerrin on me nerves". by Granddad. Usually when we were being a bit boisterous.

[Longcol 602]

Isn't Barnsley the laik district?

[Margarita Ma 10]

Not seen thee for yonks

 

Yonks meaning a long time, did anyone else use this and if so where does it come from?

 

We used this in our family.

 

Also used Fettling, for cleaning, I believe comes from the steel industry. One used to see advertisements for experienced fettlers, they cleaned fash off anything made of steel or iron. Fash is unwanted rough on the edge or outside of a moulded or turned piece of work.

 

Harking back to an earlier post, Stores I believe was widely used for the Co-operative society shops It was used in Scotland as well as locally.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Margarita Ma
More information.

[TORONTONY 10]

When I came to Canada in1981 I shared temporary accommodation with a lad from Middlesbrough . I got up one morning and he was already up. As I looked around I could not see any signs of a brew, I said " Ant tha mashed yet?" He said " We ant got any taters":loopy:

[FIRETHORN1 58]

I don't think the word "yonks" - meaning a very long time - is peculiar to Sheffield. I've heard it used most places I've been...including London, where I've lived for the past 35 years. I think it's a hybrid word made up from one or two letters each from the words "years, months and weeks...hence "yonks"

[dragoness 10]

Is tha coortin? Are you going out with anyone. and if you were then you were told And no mankin!

Afe dee-ed! - (Half dead) Really tired.

Glad to see lots of people use 'shunkley' as I've often been accused of making it up.