Local dialect of sheffield

[hillsbro 33]

The word "mardy" isn't confined to Sheffield and can be heard all over the Midlands. This website suggests that Sheffield is at the northern end of the area in which the word is used: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A769250

[Texas 10]

I suppose everybody who still lives in England has seen the Jamie Oliver ad on TV, the one where he says 'Just give it a good wazz.' It just kills me that one, when we were at Pye Bank we used to try and p*** as high up the toilet wall as we could, it was known as 'wazzing'.

Another expression I dont think has been mentioned is 'grufted', meaning ingrained muck on a collar, or, indeed, any surface.

[mrsmills 10]

That's interesting, I would have thought everyone Midlands north (up to the Borders) would have come across the word 'mardy' and heard it in us in their area.

 

To a non-Sheffielder this is really fascinating. Sheffield Uni. had a project compiling all these words and identifying when they were first used and where, I'm not sure if the project is still on-going but it would be good to get these words and phrases recorded permanently as it seems even if accents are pretty stable things, dialects are under threat.

 

As a non-Sheffielder, I detect the slightest glottal stop in some speakers with a stronger accent, but it is only slight, nothing like the supposedly accurate accents you hear on television and radio.

[DUFFEMS 56]

That's interesting, I would have thought everyone Midlands north (up to the Borders) would have come across the word 'mardy' and heard it in us in their area.

 

To a non-Sheffielder this is really fascinating. Sheffield Uni. had a project compiling all these words and identifying when they were first used and where, I'm not sure if the project is still on-going but it would be good to get these words and phrases recorded permanently as it seems even if accents are pretty stable things, dialects are under threat.

 

As a non-Sheffielder, I detect the slightest glottal stop in some speakers with a stronger accent, but it is only slight, nothing like the supposedly accurate accents you hear on television and radio.

 

Way back in the 1960's my grandfather was interviewed by someone from Sheffield Uni. who was starting to compile information about Sheffield dialect, I believe his name to be John Widdowson ( I may be wrong ), I don't know what happened to his work, maybe it was part of a study in his work.

 

Regards,

Duffems

[hillsbro 33]

John Widdowson is the author of a number of books on dialects. He co-wrote (with G. Edward Campion) the little book "Lincolnshire Dialects" which enabled me to understand some of the local words that I hear, now that I live in Lincolnshire. Some Sheffield dialect words and phrases can be heard here, such as "mardy", "owd, and "Geeo'er ruwerin", but the locals were as mystified when I referred to "tranklements" as I was by such Lincolnshire words as "dacker", "proggle" and "clat".

[sweetdexter 10]

Answers given to enquisitive children.

"How old are you mam?"

" As old as my tongue and a bit older than my teeth"

"How much did that cost?"

"Money and fair words"

Whether these are Sheffield sayings i don't know ,but they were two of my mothers favourite sayings

[hillsbro 33]

My Sheffield grandma's favourite answer to a child asking

"what are you doing?",

was

"peggin' a rug!"

[Plain Talker 11]

Answers given to enquisitive children.

"How old are you mam?"

" As old as my tongue and a bit older than my teeth"

"How much did that cost?"

"Money and fair words"

Whether these are Sheffield sayings i don't know ,but they were two of my mothers favourite sayings

 

we certainly must have had the same mum, dexter! My mother used those sayings too. although she used to say it as "money in fair words"

[Jinx 10]

Does anybody know the rest of the rhyme containing these lines usually used when first footin' on New Years Eve/Day

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

 

A horse and a gig and a good fat pig to serve us all next year

 

Hole in my pocket

Hole in my shoe

Please can you spare me a penny or two

If you haven't got a penny

An 'apenny will do

If you haven't got an 'apenny, then God bless you

 

I think there was a line in there about a pocket foll of money and a cellar full of beer???

[Plain Talker 11]

Does anybody know the rest of the rhyme containing these lines usually used when first footin' on New Years Eve/Day

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

 

A horse and a gig and a good fat pig to serve us all next year

 

Hole in my pocket

Hole in my shoe

Please can you spare me a penny or two

If you haven't got a penny

An 'apenny will do

If you haven't got an 'apenny, then God bless you

I think there was a line in there about a pocket foll of money and a cellar full of beer???

 

that last part of the bit of the rhyme you quoted, I know coming from this rhyme:-

 

Christmas is coming, the Goose is getting fat

Please to put a penny in the old man's hat

If you haven't got a penny

An 'apenny will do

If you haven't got an 'apenny, then God bless you

[nanrobbo 12]

Does anybody know the rest of the rhyme containing these lines usually used when first footin' on New Years Eve/Day

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

 

A horse and a gig and a good fat pig to serve us all next year

 

Hole in my pocket

Hole in my shoe

Please can you spare me a penny or two

If you haven't got a penny

An 'apenny will do

If you haven't got an 'apenny, then God bless you

 

 

 

I think there was a line in there about a pocket foll of money and a cellar full of beer???

I think it goes

HNY HNY

A pocket fulla money and a barrel fulla beer

Horse and a gig and a big fat pig to serve us all next year

then - Hole in my p.....etc

[nanrobbo 12]

My Sheffield grandma's favourite answer to a child asking

"what are you doing?",

was

"peggin' a rug!"

My Mum's answer's were:

Knitting a vest for Cecil!

Cat while't kettle boils

White weshin't cellar ( we didn't have a cellar)