@@MagentaOtterTravels I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to the North of England, especially Yorkshire which is where I was born and bred , have you heard this comment, ‘Yorkshire is Gods own Country,’ don’t say that to a Lancastrian they think that they are Cock of the North, oops, another bit of Yorkshire Slang , thank you for the amazing videos, next time you go to Yorkshire come to South Yorkshire, there is a beautiful village called Cawthorne, Google it it’s worth a visit , that is where I live so I am totally unbiased .
@@MagentaOtterTravels , " get a wiggle on " , means walk faster because your hips do tend to move side to side just like in the fast walking in the Olympics , unlike running were they don't " I was Cock a hoop " - I was very pleased You are correct with " wind your neck in " - calm down , someone being very argumentative .
@@philllewellyn6464 Sling means "hang" as in "out of the water", also more appropriately weigh anchor, As Yorkshireman, I would consider it more London.
My dad was a Stevedore(Docker). He had a set of hooks for loading and unloading things( commonly goods would be on a pallet in a net the hooks would be used by the stevedores to guide the cargo to the floor) from the hold in a ship in port. When he would finish work he would sling his hook meaning putting his hooks in a sling to take home. So, he was going away from work.
Happy Families was a children's card game. The goal was to build a "happy family" of dad, mum, daughter and son, like "Mr Bun the Baker" and his family. The phrase "They look like Happy Families" means they seem an ideal family unit who fit together perfectly.
@@MagentaOtterTravels it's a very local saving, they say love in Manchester, me duck in Nottingham and Darling in London , considering how small the actual country is a mystery why so many regional savings. That's before you get to Scotland and Wales, throw in the accents and dialect 😆.
My Scottish grandmother, who lived for sometime in the Lake District, used to say, when the weather was improving, “Is there enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of trouser?”
What a fun and informative video for us Americans return LATE last night from our 6 week visit to the UK. I found it so sweet to be called Love by so many especially in the north…. always made me smile. Fun video Dara ❤~Cara
Both of my parents were from Yorkshire and so I grew up calling women "love", but I had a friend from Lancashire who called everybody "chuck" so he didn't have to remember names.
Have a gander at the grotty sprog having a kip with the moggy = Take a look at the messy little kid having a nap with the cat. Not specifically regional and I think most Brits would understand it. Growing up in south Manchester - Stockport area we would say 'Did I heck as like' meaning 'No, I most certainly did not' but my mother thought it was a bit low. Then there was the boggart hole, the cupboard under the stairs where the boggart, the household poltergeist, lived.
I grew up in Whitley Bay, where Ann Cleves lives, so the scenes from Vera are very familiar from my childhood. I thought you might enjoy an unusual phrase my mother used if a door in the house creaked open. She would always say, "Come in, Lord Collingwood". Admiral Lord Collingwood was a local hero - there is a monument to him at the mouth of the Tyne, and he led the attack on the French at Trafalgar. He became Admiral after the death of Nelson. I'm guessing it referred to his ghost coming in with the creaking door and the draught!
or 'as much use as a one legged man in a arse kicking contest' - not sure which region that comes from, but I am from London so it must have reached there.
I LOVED this video! So many funny 'Northern' gems! Some of these we peeps from Norfolk use, but like you, we couldn't get away with most of them, Pet 😁
It's weird, because in north Warwickshire, we have a really strong dialect, more akin to the north and east. We say "oat" meaning anything, "note" meaning nothing, "ahh" means yes, and "naar" means no. so, a things said in normal English as "it hasn't got anything to do with me" , get's translated into "Tent gor'oat t'do wi'mee". The Nuneaton and Bedworth accent is really strong, even in this area, as, across the border in Hinckley, all but 4 miles away, the accent changes again, as they were in the Danelaw 1000 years ago, and we stayed in the kingdom of Mercia, and the borderline is the old Watling Street, a 2000 year old Roman road, which probably dates back more than 5000 years. But in Hinckley, they call their town 'Hinkleh', but in Nuneaton, we call it "Hincklee". the borders of dialect and accents are that tight
That is amazing how many accents and dialects there are in such a small area! And yes, it's fascinating to hear how it's the same words just pronounced different enough to be completely confusing 🤣
My grandfather was thanking some German visitors for something and they asked him ‘What is this “Q” you keep talking about?’ He then had to explain he was just being lazy and instead of ‘Thank You’ he simply said ‘Q’.
I had such fun listening to these sayings Dara. Many I had heard before, some I hadn't. I love the English language. There are so many versions of it. 😅😅! Thanks fr my enjoyment this afternoon. Happy weekend. 🇳🇱🙋♀🥝
Have you watched Happy Valley? Very gritty police drama based in West Yorkshire. By the way ‘bairn’ is used in parts of Yorkshire, not only in Scotland - e.g. ‘the bairns are laking’ which means the children are playing and which reflects the lingering Scandinavian influence on northern dialects.
I tried watching HV but it was too disturbing for me. But Ian thought it was a very well made show. He loved it. I've learnt a lot about the word "bairn" or barn today! Good to know because my son's new fiancee is from Norway. I didn't know barn was child in Norwegian as well!
@@MagentaOtterTravelsAnother common expression used in the north is ‘neither use nor ornament’ - meaning of no practical or decorative use whatsoever (apologies if you have mentioned it already).
@@MagentaOtterTravels Happy Valley was filmed in Halifax and the surrounding areas and I agree it’s very disturbing in parts Funnily enough Last Tango in Halifax for the most part wasn’t filmed there 🤭
My favourite's like that are: 'They've got a face like a slapped arse' and 'They've look like a bulldog chewing a wasp'. They're probably not strictly Yorkshire sayings though.
I was chatting to a farmer in a village pub in Cambridgeshire some years ago, he told a funny story after which I commented on the wisdom of the protagonist. He came back with “ oh ay, if you want to find a fool in the country, you’ll have to bring him with you”
I come from Lancashire and I have used and heard the bulk of those. I now live in Kentucky and often come out with such sayings. To which I get told, “Speak English!” We too loved watching Vera as well as other British programmes. One of our favorites was “New Tricks”. If you haven’t watched it, it’s worthy. My wife too needs closed captions and the number of times she tells me to pause, go back and replay a part, followed by, “What did he just say?” I then I have to interpret. It’s fun. Great video! I loved it! Maybe you could do a video on Cockney Rhyming Slang and confuse all your American viewers!
@@jdred1950 when an American tells you to "speak English", you need to remind them that you are, but they are better at understanding American 😉🇺🇸🏴 Yes, we have watched New Tricks. A very fun show! Thanks so much for watching this video and taking the time to leave a comment. Have you watched my "reverse culture shocks" video with your wife? I would be curious to hear what you both think 🤔 Cheers! Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravelsindeed, I have told an Immigration Official when she asked me if I spoke English, I replied, “Of COURSE I speak English. I AM English!” I’m glad you enjoyed “New Tricks”. A couple more Northetn expressions are, “Ta’ra!” Meaning goodbye. Daft a’purth!” Meaning somebody doing something stupid. I’ll certainly check out your other videos! 😊
Happy Families is/was a popular card game, especially for children. You have to collect sets of four cards which make up each family, e.g. Mr. Bun the baker, Mrs. Bun his wife, Master Bun and Miss Bun their children. Each set comprises the "perfect" family of four, two adults and two children. So, "happy families" means the perfect arrangement for a family - except that, with truely understated British irony / sarcasm, it can also mean exactly the opposite !! Hope this helps.
The Yorkshire Proverb (aka the Four Alls): 'Ear all, see all, say nowt Eat all, drink all, pay nowt And if ever thee does owt for nowt Do it for thisen (Thisen: yourself). Before anyone complains, I'm from Yorkshire.
I'm in London so some of those are not familiar to me but I think Sling your hook means go away and a right ding dong (rather than ding ding) means a fight.
Yep sling yer hook is a docker's term meaning take your hook (used for grabbing cargo) and go forth. Essentially, there is no work for you today on this dockside.
I remember a Christmas card from many years ago showing two choir boys having a fight in the upper gallery of the chapel with the caption "Ding Dong Merrily On High".
I've seen many origins for the phrase. This one looks good to me. I't was an English or Scottish spailpin's expression: when a man said that he would take his hook or sling his hook or that he was going to hook it he meant that he was about to head off to a hiring fair with a scythe or a reaping hook.'
We say in Newcastle - tighter than a duck’s arse! 😂 Most of the phrases you don’t hear so much nowadays. It might be they are used in a more informal setting. Certainly you wouldn’t say I see you are up the duff in a semi or formal setting. Great selection. There is one that you didn’t or may have heard but it includes two words you used. That is - Shy bairns get nowt. So if you are introverted or don’t ask for things you will get nothing in return. Very good video! 👍
@@full_time_motorhome I have a saying that is "if you don't ask, you don't get"... but I will have to remember your saying about the shy bairns! That's great!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Hiya Dara, I wouldn't watch Last Of The Summer Wine, from season 1 until the end its virtually the same, simply its worse than the saying BAD B**S, id rather have that saying
'Sling your hook' is of a nautical origin, Hook was a name given to the ship's anchor, and the sling was the cradle that housed the anchor. Therefore, to sling your hook meant to lift anchor, stow it and sail away, you will find a lot of navel sayings in British English from the past thats still used today..
The phrase I know in Liverpool is "tighter than a gnats chuff" which is funnier because of how microscopic that would be, implying extreme tightness or frugality. I also like the phrase "there's only cobwebs in the wallet"
Happy Families, the easiest way I could describe to Americans, would be Bree Van de Kamp and her family from Desperate Housewives. They were gleaming on the outside, but in reality, it was an act and they were falling apart at the seams. They were literally playing 'Happy Families' to keep face. Hopefully that makes sense.
That's a plumb as in to plumb the depths. I've heard several explanations of sling yer hook - relating to black listed dockers, sailors' hammocks or closest to yours - weigh anchor.
The term sling your hook means telling someone to go away. Apparently, this term has a nautical origin (I Googled it!). Hook was a name given to the ship's anchor, and the sling was the cradle that housed the anchor. Therefore, to sling your hook meant to lift anchor, stow it, and sail away 😀
i'm glad you enjoy our british stuff . you seem to have got the gist of most of our phrases . you might want to check out the original 70's version of 'all creatures...' with anthony hopkins . the actress who plays vera is originally from kent in SE england and speaks with received pronounciation normally . she took a lot of voice coaching to do that role . you can almost hear she's a little bit off in the very first episode but in all the rest of the series she does a pretty good geordie accent . pet is very specific to the northeast (basically newcastle and sunderland) :)
@@robheyes6470 Oh, the speed with which such storage changes; where are my VHS Tapes, CDs, DVDs now? Technology explodes onto the scene and within a few years is replaced by the next development. I must be getting old (almost 81, going on 20 in spirit, if not in body)
"Couldn't knock the skin off a rice pudding" goes alongside "Couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag". If you like this sort of thing, which you seem to, try to watch some of Les Dawson's monologues. He was the master of northern metaphors and similies, mostly made up by himself and not really in general use - but very entertaining all the same.
I thought the saying have a ding dong (not ding ding, which I've never heard before) comes from the start of a boxing match when they ring a bell, so marking the start of a fight. I could be wrong - just guessing here.
Hey love, you could compile a whole lexicon of local sayings. It's great that were chatting about our little, humerous, sayings! I am sure US are not far behind!
Sling yer hook is a nautical term meaning “Go Away” (telling someone to go away) The Hook being the boats anchor that needed to be secured or “Slung” before setting sail.
A phrase I do hear often in Scotland is " Whit's fur ( for) ye will no go by ye ! " meaning that which you are meant to have , will not elude you. I'm just not absolutely certain it's true though .
"Fill your boots" means to make the best out of an already good situation and can also be said whilst having a good nose bag and another saying is i'm that knackered i could fall asleep on a washing line , i had a dream last night that i was eating a giant marshmallow and when i woke up i'd eaten the pillow
It amuses me that I learnt so much Norwegian reading the comments section of this video... when my son's new fiancee is from Norway! It was fun telling her about that ;-)
I - a son of the Beautiful South - have learned something new: 'Otter's Bottom' = 'Duck's Arse'! Brilliant😀😀😀 English - a playful language for a playful People!
Hi, Regarding the expression "to sling one's hook" many people know and use this expression but few know the full etymology behind it, so many use it incorrectly. The term "sling one's hook" means to leave, particularly to leave without intending to return. It is similar to the expressions to "Do a runner" or "Run out on..(someone/something)" The expression has nautical origins and the "hook" referred to is a slang expression for the ship's anchor (as, e.g. the expression "drop the hook" means "let go the anchor") It is not the sounding lead, as suggested by another viewer. Most modern ships use a "stockless" anchor, so the process of securing the anchor for a sea passage is relatively simple. The shank of the anchor is hove right up into the hawse pipe so that the flukes of the anchor rest hard up against the outside of the ship's bow, and then it is just a matter of using some type of chain stopper to secure the anchor chain and take the weight off the windlass. In the old days, however, ships used an old-fashioned anchor with a stock, and the procedure for securing the anchor was more difficult. The anchor would be hove up to just below the hawsepipe but could not be brought up into the pipe because of the stock. So a tackle would be attached to the head of the shank and the anchor would be hove out to hang vertically from the "cathead" at the end of a short spar projecting from the bow for this purpose, a process known as "catting" the anchor. This would be sufficient if only moving a short distance in sheltered waters, such as when shifting berth, but when starting a longer voyage it would be necessary to secure the anchor better, to prevent it from swinging and doing damage, so a sling would be attached to one of its flukes, by means of which the anchor could be heaved up horizontal, where it could be securely lashed to lashing points on the bulwark. This process was called "slinging" the anchor. Thus, if you saw a ship that had already slung its "hook" (anchor) you would know that it wasn't just shifting to somewhere close by, but was leaving for an ocean voyage and would be therefore be gone for a long period, maybe forever.
A couple more comments: Re "Ding Ding" "A right/proper Ding Dong" is a well-known expression in British English for an argument. I guess that "Ding Ding" is just someone's variant form of the expression, possibly said in error but more likely said intentionally as a play on words. (Just because one expression has become established doesn't mean it is set in stone) Here in Hong Kong, "Ding-ding" is used in both Cantonese and English as a slang name for a tram, due to the warning bells used on HK trams. Re "Tight as an Otter's Bum" Since you are the otter lady, here's another otter saying for you: When something is very wet, it is said to be "Wet as an otter's pocket" . In South Africa there is a well known hiking trail in the Garden Route area on the South Coast called the "Otter trail". It runs along the coast from Storms River Mouth to Nature's Valley through some wild country, and usually takes about 5 days. (Yes, there are otters in the area, hence the name). On completing the walk, it has become traditional to celebrate in the Pub at Nature's Valley, so the hostelry has introduced a cocktail for the occasion dubbed "The Otter's "A...hole", no doubt derived from the proverb you mentioned, though it is usually the hiker, not the otter, that ends up "tight".
the 'duff' in up the duff is the same as the 'duff' in 'plum duff' (which is what you call Christmas Pudding if it is not for Christmas). So the phrase is analogous to 'bun in the oven'. 'Slinging one's hook' is going away or leaving - usually this phrase is an imperative so 'Swing your hook' is less polite than 'please leave' but more polite than 'f*** off'. I associate 'cannae' and 'dinae' with Scotland.
Hi. Greetings from Basingstoke, Hampshire, uk. I remember hearing this saying from up north which is "put wood in hole" which means close the door. Hope this helps?
Thanks for the video, lovely commentary and wonderful colourful expressions. I'm a UK Southerner who lives with a Northerner and spent some time up North. Your 'Must grumble' T-shirt works, I get the joke! I also use the phrase, 'Mustn't grumble!' and yes, it's great to grumble sometimes. Some Northern words are useful and don't have a simple translation. 'Mither' is a great northern word too, 'Stop mithering me!' -Making a fuss and bothering. Another word from the North is 'nesh' used for people who feel the cold. We went to LA in January and in their mild winter locals were complaining about how cold it was - they were definitely nesh. I think 'up the duff' comes from 'dough' as in bread and cooking and being 'in the pudding club', like fat and pregnant. Another expression used for pregnancy in the UK is 'she's got a bun in the oven'.
@@vinceturner3863 I'm definitely nesh! Feeling cold here in Dallas today even though it's not really that cold 🥶 Mither is a GREAT word... I have been told about the word but I haven't actually heard anyone use it when they were speaking. Thanks so much for watching this video and taking the time to leave such a fun comment ! Ta! Dara
Hiya, thanks for all your great videos. The phrase is had a "Right Ding Dong", you are correct it means had a big row or maybe a big fight, similar is "Went at it Hammer & Tongs" means "Went All Out", Cheers Chris
Here are a couple more for you. I hope I haven't duplicated many. I was born in Scotland, so as a wee bairn, church was always kirk. Then we moved to Yorkshire. Someone else here already mentioned "frame yourself". In Grassington (where I lived for a few years, and played folk music in the Forrester's) that would been "frame thysen" and if was aimed at me I'd have to "frame misen". In rural Yorkshire the use of thee, thou and thy remained common until the 1960s. (And yes, I am that old! or "knocking on a bit"). Kids didn't play in a puddle. Instead "Bairns laked in t'dub". And to me a big pile of hay is not a haystack, it's a hayrick. I hope that's of interest.
Those are wonderful! Thanks for sharing. Kirk is another reminder of how so many terms (like bairn and ta) have Nordic origins! I assume you saw my Grassington video? Lovely place ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels Also, you neglected to mention the antonym 'owt'. "Have you got owt to eat?" "No mate, I've got nowt. I need to go shopping." Both are simply nought and ought in a Northern accent. 'Nought' is still in common use for zero (as in noughts and crosses - tic-tac-toe), and although 'ought' is considered archaic these days it is an actual word and means 'anything' or 'something' as opposed to 'nothing'.
Owt for nowt - Something for nothing. It confused a few southerners when I used those words (my grandparents were from the north east) back in the 1960s/70s. I think they've become more normal.
Hello Dara, enjoy your reviews! I'm from hartlepool and a word that I used as a youngster,( ket) is a direct link to my towns danelaw past? it means sweets! my dad give me 2 shillings ( 1960s )and I'd go and by some mints. I know you like vera, hartlepool has often been used as a location regards John
You should visit Barnsley in South Yorkshire some time they are stuck in a time warp and still use thee and thou, you might even hear the phrase "aye tha dunt get art fer nart" which means 'indeed you dont get anything for nothing'. Art and nart is owt and nowt but just the way they say it; you may also hear them say "me sen" for 'myself' or "ar lass" for my girlfriend or wife. yes you would have a field day there if you like quirky dialects.
Sayings we use in my area of Yorkshire, Frame, usually said to children who are taking too long/ messing around doing a task, ie a child taking forever putting on a coat and your in a hurry, ‘ Frame will you!’ or I’ve just cockled over, this is when your ankle twists to a side when your walking and your leg then gives way usually happens to us ladies when walking in heels. Also chow, I know Americans say it to mean eat food, but in Yorkshire well my area it’s an old dialect word meaning to be told off, ie ‘ If I do that my Mam will chow at me!’ Or ‘I came home late from school and my Mam chowed at me!’
I knew the words dinnae, cannae, and bairn because some years ago I came across Irvine Welsh's 'Trainspotting' at the library and since I had recently (at that time) heard a few people mention that movie on TV or on the commentary track of other movies I checked it out. Well,I read a few pages and didn't understand what I was reading as it was written in the Scottish vernacular. Then I had the idea to read it thinking in a Scottish accent instead of my own inner voice and it worked. The bairn in the book was a baby so I thought it was derived from new born and only referred to very young babies. Now I know bairn means child and is a descendant of the verb bear as in bearing children. I still haven't seen the movie nor the sequel they made approximately 7 years ago. Oh and I, too think that the phrase "up the duff" sounds a bit rude. I heard it on an episode of 'Red Dwarf' years ago and equated it with the term "knocked- up" which I feel is a negative judgy word towards the mother to be. There are probably people who use either of those phrases to say that someone is pregnant who are just conveying the news without any unfavorable thoughts of the expecting mother, but I wouldn't use either because of the connotations I give them. Well, this had ended up being quite a long comment so I'm going to let you go. Hope you're having a lovely day.
Speaking of accents, when you are natural and relaxed, you almost hit Dolly Parton. Which is quite endearing. I mustn't grumble, if I were to grumble, I would be about as useful as a catflap on a submarine...
I'm just North of Stoke on Trent and south of Liverpool and Manchester,and the stoke accent and sayings are unique to the area,they call everyone duck or they drink waiter(water).Snapping is sandwiches or packed lunch.They have a dialect all for the area.My brother in law lives in Sheffield and meeting anyone they say ay up,is thee okay.
@@MagentaOtterTravelsapparently Cheshire comes under North west England. We live in the southernmost part of Cheshire so don’t know if we count as northerners but really don’t feel a midlander either
A couple of other phases that are used everywhere in England ( I think)are that someone is 'away with the fairies' meaning divorced from reality, and someone is 'One sandwich short of a picnic" meaning they are doing strange or stupid things.
I remember the first time I heard "away with the fairies" and I thought it was SO FUNNY! That is something you never hear in the states. As for your other saying... here in Texas we say "one taco short of a combination platter"! Same thing ;-) haha
I used to live in Buckie, a town on the north facing Moray coastal region of Scotland. If you ever go there you will hear some different words and phrases. Males are "loons", females are "quines".
When referring to a very thin and small person my grandmother would describe them as “A bit of Summat dropped off Nowt!” Or “Like a matchstick with the wood scraped off!”
Most accents in the UK have faded or softened. My mother’s family comes from the Potteries - six small towns that amalgamated into one. The towns sit on coal and clay deposits that made it the home of all the large makers of china and earthenware. Since everyone worked in the same industry, technical words and expressions fused into the language. At some point in the regions history, they began to exhaust their supply of shallow coal. At the time, the experts in deep coal mining came from Scotland, so the town 'imported' a large number of Glaswegian miners. It’s said that for quite a while the Scots and locals had terrible trouble understanding each other, then as time went by, the Scots put their mark on the local dialect, with some of their words and phrases entering 'the jargon' which is what the locals call the 'old way of speaking'. While the potteries has a unique accent, it is pretty typical of how many regional accents have come about. Much of the language has come from 'invaders' the Vikings were a big influence and there were also Romans, Saxons and the Normans (French) A lot of place names are derived from Saxon descriptions of the towns or settlements, other words are bastardizations of invaders languages - terms for food are often given as an example, when the Normans ruled, they were the ones who lived in the castles and ate the best food. The English peasants raised or grew the food, what was a pig or swine to a peasant became 'porcon' when served to the French masters. Cow became 'boef', sheep became 'mouton' and chicken became 'poulet'. To this day, British folk keep pigs, cows, sheep and chickens, but at the table serve pork, beef, mutton and poultry. As invaders themselves, the British also imported words. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of British soldiers were stationed in India. A single story house in the UK is called a bungalow, which along with pyjamas, jodhpurs etc. are words adopted from India.
This is the accent my grandparents and great aunt an uncles spoke with - as did most adults in the area when I was a kid, I still understand it, most British people will understand some of it, I think non- British would struggle quite a lot ? th-cam.com/video/Jyyywh6dqcA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=mFwjU8l285eLyF1Z
Very interesting to think about all the origins and influences on our language! And by the way, I love the term "the potteries". I had not heard of that before!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Six small towns that grew into one, all involved in the same industry all the famous pottery companies were there, as well as China, Stoneware and Earthenware, there were other companies making all types of ceramics, like bathroom fittings and insulators for electrical equipment. I think the town is now under one council and goes by the name Stoke on Trent. A lot of the original "hole in the wall" type shops have gone now, but the Staffordshire oatcake is unique to the area - one of the original fast foods, and a staple for anyone who grew up there. When I ws a kid and spending time a of of time there, you could tell where someone was born by which oatcake shop they went to. my grandad used to drive past several to go back to Hanley, because every recipe is a little different. You could buy them filled or in stacks of a dozen to take home - we never left without a few dozen packed away in the car
Love is more northern, but said down south as well but not as much...older people use princess in london to a younger girl...pet is very north east...sweet is used quite a bit and sweetheart all over the UK as well...
😢In Lincolnshire we say its sighling down for raining 😊note for nowt ,oat for ought, aye up for hello ,bain for child ,😊A good saying would be all fur coat and no knickers 😊work that one out yourself 😂.
@@MagentaOtterTravelsthink the Texan one implies a person (usually a man) who is boastful but cannot back it up. ‘All fur coat and no knickers’ refers to a woman who is ‘no better than she ought to be’, ie of questionable morals. PS ‘ta’ is another of those words like bairn/bain with Scandinavian roots. Ta = takk
Love the 'Must grumble' vibe, sad you needed to explain, but I'm sure you did need to. Ta, for thanks, and goodbye is also used in London, as is 'Sling your hook', means go away, it was a docker's term.
I found it great fun to watch you talk about my Northern language 😀 Put wood in’t hole - shut the door Turn t’big light off - turn off the main room light Oi, cloth ears! - hey, pay attention Get rodded - go away (rude) Cock a hoop means over the moon - happy Bent as a nine bob note - a criminal - a pleased Yorkshireman -
@@MagentaOtterTravels You hadn't heard it before because you've got cloth ears. 🤣 Sarah Jane Smith also used the term 'cloth eyes' on Doctor Who in the 70s. Never heard it before or since. She was from Liverpool. Maybe they use it there??
Thanks , that was enjoyable , the saying ''tighter than an otters backside'' is more often a duck and i have often heard ''rough as a badgers'' , but , it's never as polite as the word bottom , it's always a ducks arse or a badgers arse (with its regional accent) 😁
Here's the link to the original "favourite British sayings" video. Thanks for watching! th-cam.com/video/oa90zsIBvNs/w-d-xo.html
@@MagentaOtterTravels I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to the North of England, especially Yorkshire which is where I was born and bred , have you heard this comment, ‘Yorkshire is Gods own Country,’ don’t say that to a Lancastrian they think that they are Cock of the North, oops, another bit of Yorkshire Slang , thank you for the amazing videos, next time you go to Yorkshire come to South Yorkshire, there is a beautiful village called Cawthorne, Google it it’s worth a visit , that is where I live so I am totally unbiased .
I'm a true Brit. My favourite is "tighter than a ducks arse", meaning stingy, mean, thrifty. Never buys a round of drinks in the pub.
I've never heard Having a right Ding Ding, but where i'm from we say having a Right Ding Dong meaning a good fight or a big argument.
@@THIS-IS-BRITAIN I'm sure I misheard it. Oops ! 🤦🏻♀️
Yes, it’s definitely ding dong.
@@MagentaOtterTravels , " get a wiggle on " , means walk faster because your hips do tend to move side to side just like in the fast walking in the Olympics , unlike running were they don't
" I was Cock a hoop " - I was very pleased
You are correct with " wind your neck in " - calm down , someone being very argumentative .
We, in Yorkshire, say " Tighter than a ducks arse & thats watertight"
Another on that theme is "Tighter than a bull's arse at fly time".
So many interesting sayings!!
We Lancastrians say a Yorshireman is as tight as a gnats arse and you don't get much tighter than that
"That'll do" - no higher compliment
Tighter than a crabs arse when grew up in N Wales 😀
'Sling your hook' means 'go away' - the 'hook' is an anchor and to 'sling' it means to pull it up and sail off.
Thought it was referring to taking your hammock of the hook and going
@@johnfinley485Either way it’s (IMHO) usually said as and order to someone.
I think sling means throw in this case - but it doesn't change the meaning
@@philllewellyn6464 Sling means "hang" as in "out of the water", also more appropriately weigh anchor, As Yorkshireman, I would consider it more London.
My dad was a Stevedore(Docker). He had a set of hooks for loading and unloading things( commonly goods would be on a pallet in a net the hooks would be used by the stevedores to guide the cargo to the floor) from the hold in a ship in port. When he would finish work he would sling his hook meaning putting his hooks in a sling to take home. So, he was going away from work.
Probably a better definition of "Fill yer boots" is "Help yourself"
""Fill yer boots"
Yes - that's always sounded to me as though a Diarhoea Plague has struck! Not very pleasant, really.
@@marvinc9994 That's fill your pants, not boots. 😁😁
I’ve also used “Jump in and fill your boots”
When British cavelry would steal things using there boots to store items
Yikes! That's a good point, and very unplesant!
Happy Families was a children's card game. The goal was to build a "happy family" of dad, mum, daughter and son, like "Mr Bun the Baker" and his family. The phrase "They look like Happy Families" means they seem an ideal family unit who fit together perfectly.
@@rerenaissance7487 thanks! That makes more sense.
The Bates family was banned because of the young lad, Master Bates LOL.
Being a Geordie, Pet is used all the time in Newcastle
I wish I could get away with saying it!
@@MagentaOtterTravels it's a very local saving, they say love in Manchester, me duck in Nottingham and Darling in London , considering how small the actual country is a mystery why so many regional savings. That's before you get to Scotland and Wales, throw in the accents and dialect 😆.
Really what part of the toon are ye from marra. Av ownly hord it twice in sixty years except on le Franis shows.
@@davidhoward5392 In the west country, it night be "mi (=my) lover" ❗
My Scottish grandmother, who lived for sometime in the Lake District, used to say, when the weather was improving, “Is there enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of trouser?”
Wow, my mother used to say the same!!
My grandma used to say this too 😊
My nan used to say that
I’ve heard it with a Dutchman instead of a sailor.
My mother also used that saying, but she was from Plymouth, and the daughter of an Irish sailor!
What a fun and informative video for us Americans return LATE last night from our 6 week visit to the UK. I found it so sweet to be called Love by so many especially in the north…. always made me smile. Fun video Dara ❤~Cara
If you just got back last night, you must be tired enough to sleep on a chickens lip!
@ 😂 yes we are! 😂
Thanks love 😊
Duck is used quite a lot a bit more towards the midlands....
Both of my parents were from Yorkshire and so I grew up calling women "love", but I had a friend from Lancashire who called everybody "chuck" so he didn't have to remember names.
Have a gander at the grotty sprog having a kip with the moggy = Take a look at the messy little kid having a nap with the cat. Not specifically regional and I think most Brits would understand it.
Growing up in south Manchester - Stockport area we would say 'Did I heck as like' meaning 'No, I most certainly did not' but my mother thought it was a bit low.
Then there was the boggart hole, the cupboard under the stairs where the boggart, the household poltergeist, lived.
Oh that's funny about the boggart hole! Sounds like Harry Potter...
I grew up in Whitley Bay, where Ann Cleves lives, so the scenes from Vera are very familiar from my childhood. I thought you might enjoy an unusual phrase my mother used if a door in the house creaked open. She would always say, "Come in, Lord Collingwood". Admiral Lord Collingwood was a local hero - there is a monument to him at the mouth of the Tyne, and he led the attack on the French at Trafalgar. He became Admiral after the death of Nelson. I'm guessing it referred to his ghost coming in with the creaking door and the draught!
@@9walkerma oh, that's a wonderful story!
as well as the teapot thing we say "he's about as much good as a chocolate fireguard"
Or as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.
Or, "as much use as a chocolate frog in the sun" .
Good one!
or 'as much use as a one legged man in a arse kicking contest' - not sure which region that comes from, but I am from London so it must have reached there.
I LOVED this video! So many funny 'Northern' gems! Some of these we peeps from Norfolk use, but like you, we couldn't get away with most of them, Pet 😁
Haha, indeed!
Interesting 🤔
I am learning new terms and words 😊
Happy weekend
It's weird, because in north Warwickshire, we have a really strong dialect, more akin to the north and east. We say "oat" meaning anything, "note" meaning nothing, "ahh" means yes, and "naar" means no. so, a things said in normal English as "it hasn't got anything to do with me" , get's translated into "Tent gor'oat t'do wi'mee".
The Nuneaton and Bedworth accent is really strong, even in this area, as, across the border in Hinckley, all but 4 miles away, the accent changes again, as they were in the Danelaw 1000 years ago, and we stayed in the kingdom of Mercia, and the borderline is the old Watling Street, a 2000 year old Roman road, which probably dates back more than 5000 years.
But in Hinckley, they call their town 'Hinkleh', but in Nuneaton, we call it "Hincklee". the borders of dialect and accents are that tight
Do they still call Nuneaton people Codders because the fish train stopped there?
That is amazing how many accents and dialects there are in such a small area! And yes, it's fascinating to hear how it's the same words just pronounced different enough to be completely confusing 🤣
Exactly the same in Nottinghamshire
My grandfather was thanking some German visitors for something and they asked him ‘What is this “Q” you keep talking about?’ He then had to explain he was just being lazy and instead of ‘Thank You’ he simply said ‘Q’.
haha, that's funny! I thought you were going to say it was "queue" ;-)
@kempos2000 I've noticed that in the USA, and increasingly in the UK now, people say 'Than Q' rather than 'Thank you'. 😁
Great to see you rocking the 'Must Grumble' magenta sweatshirt! 💖 🤗
It's finally sweatshirt weather here in Texas!
I know the term for a fight as 'a right ding dong' never heard of a 'right ding ding'. Still gets used although not often.
yes i agree it's a ding doing... a fight
@@andyrjs oops! I misheard 🤦🏻♀️
@@MagentaOtterTravels Think of a boxing match and the sound of the bell at the start and end of each round.
I had such fun listening to these sayings Dara. Many I had heard before, some I hadn't. I love the English language. There are so many versions of it. 😅😅! Thanks fr my enjoyment this afternoon. Happy weekend. 🇳🇱🙋♀🥝
@@IamaDutch-Kiwi thanks for joining the Premiere! Have a wonderful weekend! 🩷
“He’s as useful as cat flap in an elephant house.” That’s one my Dad always used when I was growing up.
We don't call them cat flaps, so that's an interesting term. Someone else mentioned "as useful as a cat flap on a submarine"! Lol
As much use as tits on a bull, or, probably a bit rougher, as much use as the popes balls.
Don't forget the chocolate teapot, an ashtray on a motorbike and a concrete parachute.
Have you watched Happy Valley? Very gritty police drama based in West Yorkshire. By the way ‘bairn’ is used in parts of Yorkshire, not only in Scotland - e.g. ‘the bairns are laking’ which means the children are playing and which reflects the lingering Scandinavian influence on northern dialects.
I tried watching HV but it was too disturbing for me. But Ian thought it was a very well made show. He loved it.
I've learnt a lot about the word "bairn" or barn today! Good to know because my son's new fiancee is from Norway. I didn't know barn was child in Norwegian as well!
@@MagentaOtterTravelsAnother common expression used in the north is ‘neither use nor ornament’ - meaning of no practical or decorative use whatsoever (apologies if you have mentioned it already).
Also up in Durham
@@MagentaOtterTravels Happy Valley was filmed in Halifax and the surrounding areas and I agree it’s very disturbing in parts
Funnily enough Last Tango in Halifax for the most part wasn’t filmed there 🤭
Old Scottish joke;what’s the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney , Bing sings but Walt disnae.
Heard that with Roy Rogers…
Is that a cream bun or a meringue ? No, you’re quite right it’s a cream bun.
My favourite Yorkshire saying...for someone you might consider ugly, is "he's/she's got a face a dog wouldn't lick". 😂
My favourite's like that are: 'They've got a face like a slapped arse' and 'They've look like a bulldog chewing a wasp'. They're probably not strictly Yorkshire sayings though.
@@joepopplewell680or They look like a chewed up raisin spat out of a bulldogs ass
Or they've got a face like the back of a bus.
Funny but sad ;-)
Definition of a Scotsman = A generous Yorkshireman.
@@philllewellyn6464 tighter than an otter's bottom? 🤣❤️🏴
I was chatting to a farmer in a village pub in Cambridgeshire some years ago, he told a funny story after which I commented on the wisdom of the protagonist. He came back with “ oh ay, if you want to find a fool in the country, you’ll have to bring him with you”
BRILLIANT!
I come from Lancashire and I have used and heard the bulk of those. I now live in Kentucky and often come out with such sayings. To which I get told, “Speak English!”
We too loved watching Vera as well as other British programmes. One of our favorites was “New Tricks”. If you haven’t watched it, it’s worthy.
My wife too needs closed captions and the number of times she tells me to pause, go back and replay a part, followed by, “What did he just say?” I then I have to interpret. It’s fun.
Great video! I loved it!
Maybe you could do a video on Cockney Rhyming Slang and confuse all your American viewers!
@@jdred1950 when an American tells you to "speak English", you need to remind them that you are, but they are better at understanding American 😉🇺🇸🏴
Yes, we have watched New Tricks. A very fun show!
Thanks so much for watching this video and taking the time to leave a comment. Have you watched my "reverse culture shocks" video with your wife? I would be curious to hear what you both think 🤔 Cheers! Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravelsindeed, I have told an Immigration Official when she asked me if I spoke English, I replied, “Of COURSE I speak English. I AM English!”
I’m glad you enjoyed “New Tricks”.
A couple more Northetn expressions are, “Ta’ra!” Meaning goodbye.
Daft a’purth!” Meaning somebody doing something stupid.
I’ll certainly check out your other videos! 😊
Happy Families is/was a popular card game, especially for children. You have to collect sets of four cards which make up each family, e.g. Mr. Bun the baker, Mrs. Bun his wife, Master Bun and Miss Bun their children. Each set comprises the "perfect" family of four, two adults and two children. So, "happy families" means the perfect arrangement for a family - except that, with truely understated British irony / sarcasm, it can also mean exactly the opposite !! Hope this helps.
@@grahamtravers4522 yes that's very helpful. Ta!
" Here we all are sittin in a rainbow
Cor Blimey Mrs Jones, how's your Berts Lumbago?
Musn't grumble"
FYI: That's from the song "Lazy Sunday" by the Small Faces (who were Cockneys).
Love it!
The opposite of "nowt" is "owt" (something). Often used in the phrase "You get owt for nowt" meaning you don't get something for nothing.
But there is also the phrase, "neither nowt na' summat"!
Uha. Owt is anything. Summert is something.
‘You don’t get owt for nowt’
The Yorkshire Proverb (aka the Four Alls):
'Ear all, see all, say nowt
Eat all, drink all, pay nowt
And if ever thee does owt for nowt
Do it for thisen
(Thisen: yourself).
Before anyone complains, I'm from Yorkshire.
I'm in London so some of those are not familiar to me but I think Sling your hook means go away and a right ding dong (rather than ding ding) means a fight.
Yep sling yer hook is a docker's term meaning take your hook (used for grabbing cargo) and go forth. Essentially, there is no work for you today on this dockside.
@@davsav i'm not sure if I heard it wrong or if my closed captioning didn't spell dingdong correctly! Lol
Yes ding-dong, like a bell going back and forth from one side to the other.
I remember a Christmas card from many years ago showing two choir boys having a fight in the upper gallery of the chapel with the caption "Ding Dong Merrily On High".
I've seen many origins for the phrase. This one looks good to me.
I't was an English or Scottish spailpin's expression: when a man said that he would take his hook or sling his hook or that he was going to hook it he meant that he was about to head off to a hiring fair with a scythe or a reaping hook.'
We say in Newcastle - tighter than a duck’s arse! 😂 Most of the phrases you don’t hear so much nowadays. It might be they are used in a more informal setting. Certainly you wouldn’t say I see you are up the duff in a semi or formal setting. Great selection. There is one that you didn’t or may have heard but it includes two words you used. That is - Shy bairns get nowt. So if you are introverted or don’t ask for things you will get nothing in return. Very good video! 👍
I've heard shy bairns used as an alternative to fill yer boots.
Still said in Cheshire.
@@full_time_motorhome I have a saying that is "if you don't ask, you don't get"... but I will have to remember your saying about the shy bairns! That's great!
@@MagentaOtterTravels. Shy bairns get nowt
You really need to visit Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. Home of, 'Last Of The Summer Wine.
Yes, I need to watch the show as well!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Hiya Dara, I wouldn't watch Last Of The Summer Wine, from season 1 until the end its virtually the same, simply its worse than the saying BAD B**S, id rather have that saying
'Sling your hook' is of a nautical origin, Hook was a name given to the ship's anchor, and the sling was the cradle that housed the anchor. Therefore, to sling your hook meant to lift anchor, stow it and sail away, you will find a lot of navel sayings in British English from the past thats still used today..
Thanks! I think the Northumberland coast seems a very nautical area ;-)
The phrase I know in Liverpool is "tighter than a gnats chuff" which is funnier because of how microscopic that would be, implying extreme tightness or frugality. I also like the phrase "there's only cobwebs in the wallet"
yes that's the phrase I've heard as well... never heard the otter one.
That’s what I say 😂
@@Drew-Dastardly those are both great sayings! Lol
Happy Families, the easiest way I could describe to Americans, would be Bree Van de Kamp and her family from Desperate Housewives. They were gleaming on the outside, but in reality, it was an act and they were falling apart at the seams. They were literally playing 'Happy Families' to keep face. Hopefully that makes sense.
Yes, very helpful! Ta!
I wish I watched this before I made my British baking videos. These are fun words!
You shall just have to make another ;-) Thanks for watching, friend! XX
Hi Dara, sling yer hook means clear off, or go away, I believe it is nautical, and refers to the weighted line they used for depth soundings.
That's a plumb as in to plumb the depths.
I've heard several explanations of sling yer hook - relating to black listed dockers, sailors' hammocks or closest to yours - weigh anchor.
The term sling your hook means telling someone to go away. Apparently, this term has a nautical origin (I Googled it!). Hook was a name given to the ship's anchor, and the sling was the cradle that housed the anchor. Therefore, to sling your hook meant to lift anchor, stow it, and sail away 😀
You can tell I was too lazy to research the origin of all these phrases before filming the video! Lol
i'm glad you enjoy our british stuff . you seem to have got the gist of most of our phrases . you might want to check out the original 70's version of 'all creatures...' with anthony hopkins . the actress who plays vera is originally from kent in SE england and speaks with received pronounciation normally . she took a lot of voice coaching to do that role . you can almost hear she's a little bit off in the very first episode but in all the rest of the series she does a pretty good geordie accent . pet is very specific to the northeast (basically newcastle and sunderland) :)
Pet is used a lot by James Bolam, in The Likely Lads and its follow up. Also, in The Beiderbecke Affair.
@@oastie3 The Beiderbecke Affair/Tapes/Connection are great - I have them on DVD, really should transfer them to digital files.
@@robheyes6470 Oh, the speed with which such storage changes; where are my VHS Tapes, CDs, DVDs now? Technology explodes onto the scene and within a few years is replaced by the next development. I must be getting old (almost 81, going on 20 in spirit, if not in body)
"Couldn't knock the skin off a rice pudding" goes alongside "Couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag". If you like this sort of thing, which you seem to, try to watch some of Les Dawson's monologues. He was the master of northern metaphors and similies, mostly made up by himself and not really in general use - but very entertaining all the same.
I used to like Cissy and Ada
Thanks for the recommendation!
I worked with a woman who talked about her daughter as "our Kelly" ...At first, I wondered why she was talking about R Kelly
We say "Our" meaning an Uncle like Our Michael
Oh, that is really funny!!! LOL
I thought the saying have a ding dong (not ding ding, which I've never heard before) comes from the start of a boxing match when they ring a bell, so marking the start of a fight. I could be wrong - just guessing here.
@@ruth1231 thank you for that explanation of the origin. That makes sense! And yes, I'm sure it's dingdong and I just misheard it...
In Derbyshire ive heard .Im thst tired icould kip on a Washing line.
That's a fun one!
Great, and educational, comment section!
Definitely!!
Hey love, you could compile a whole lexicon of local sayings. It's great that were chatting about our little, humerous, sayings! I am sure US are not far behind!
Yes, I learnt some colourful barnyard sayings from my parents, who both grew up on farms in the US! ;-)
Right ding dong we have said in my area
Yeah, I think my hearing is failing me ;-)
Here’s a compendium of Lancashire (Lanky) sayings and phrases:
th-cam.com/video/-pFsotM6nb4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=9VfdHuYF_phBY2bF
I love 'Tighter than an Otters Bottom' 😂 I can honestly say I've never heard that phrase before! Or 'Rough as a badger's bottom". 😂
How about "wet as an otter's pocket"? I need to remember that one on a very rainy day!
More usual would be "Tight as a duck's arse (and that's watertight)!
Actually that second should be "rough as a badger's arse" - usually used to describe how you feel after having had too much to drink the night before.
Sling yer hook is a nautical term meaning “Go Away” (telling someone to go away) The Hook being the boats anchor that needed to be secured or “Slung” before setting sail.
Makes sense. Thanks!
The ‘our Gillian’ is usually shortened to ‘R Gillian, R John, etc’ we don’t like to waste words in Yorkshire 😂
Referring to a sibling, 'R kid'.
A phrase I do hear often in Scotland is " Whit's fur ( for) ye will no go by ye ! " meaning that which you are meant to have , will not elude you.
I'm just not absolutely certain it's true though .
@@auldfouter8661 it is a nice sentiment, though!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I've remembered another Scottish saying.
" If you get a name for rising early - you can lie in your bed all day ! "
"Fill your boots" means to make the best out of an already good situation and can also be said whilst having a good nose bag and another saying is i'm that knackered i could fall asleep on a washing line , i had a dream last night that i was eating a giant marshmallow and when i woke up i'd eaten the pillow
@@johnhankinson1929 🤣I like the washing line one !
Get stuck in !
Greetings from Halifax
@@elwolf8536 hiya! Have you watched the show? I'm curious what you think of the actors' accents...
I was born in Halifax
@MagentaOtterTravels good but safe, they have to make it intelligible for TV
''About as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike'' is another way of saying ''useless''.
Oh that's a good one!
@@MagentaOtterTravelsas much use as a chocolate fire guard
Bairn is Scandinavian barn for child
It amuses me that I learnt so much Norwegian reading the comments section of this video... when my son's new fiancee is from Norway! It was fun telling her about that ;-)
I - a son of the Beautiful South - have learned something new: 'Otter's Bottom' = 'Duck's Arse'! Brilliant😀😀😀 English - a playful language for a playful People!
Sling y hook- means piss off in a nice way
Hi,
Regarding the expression "to sling one's hook" many people know and use this expression but few know the full etymology behind it, so many use it incorrectly.
The term "sling one's hook" means to leave, particularly to leave without intending to return. It is similar to the expressions to "Do a runner" or "Run out on..(someone/something)"
The expression has nautical origins and the "hook" referred to is a slang expression for the ship's anchor (as, e.g. the expression "drop the hook" means "let go the anchor") It is not the sounding lead, as suggested by another viewer.
Most modern ships use a "stockless" anchor, so the process of securing the anchor for a sea passage is relatively simple. The shank of the anchor is hove right up into the hawse pipe so that the flukes of the anchor rest hard up against the outside of the ship's bow, and then it is just a matter of using some type of chain stopper to secure the anchor chain and take the weight off the windlass.
In the old days, however, ships used an old-fashioned anchor with a stock, and the procedure for securing the anchor was more difficult. The anchor would be hove up to just below the hawsepipe but could not be brought up into the pipe because of the stock.
So a tackle would be attached to the head of the shank and the anchor would be hove out to hang vertically from the "cathead" at the end of a short spar projecting from the bow for this purpose, a process known as "catting" the anchor. This would be sufficient if only moving a short distance in sheltered waters, such as when shifting berth, but when starting a longer voyage it would be necessary to secure the anchor better, to prevent it from swinging and doing damage, so a sling would be attached to one of its flukes, by means of which the anchor could be heaved up horizontal, where it could be securely lashed to lashing points on the bulwark. This process was called "slinging" the anchor.
Thus, if you saw a ship that had already slung its "hook" (anchor) you would know that it wasn't just shifting to somewhere close by, but was leaving for an ocean voyage and would be therefore be gone for a long period, maybe forever.
A couple more comments:
Re "Ding Ding"
"A right/proper Ding Dong" is a well-known expression in British English for an argument.
I guess that "Ding Ding" is just someone's variant form of the expression,
possibly said in error but more likely said intentionally as a play on words. (Just because one expression has become established doesn't mean it is set in stone)
Here in Hong Kong, "Ding-ding" is used in both Cantonese and English as a slang name for a tram, due to the warning bells used on HK trams.
Re "Tight as an Otter's Bum"
Since you are the otter lady, here's another otter saying for you:
When something is very wet, it is said to be "Wet as an otter's pocket" .
In South Africa there is a well known hiking trail in the Garden Route area on the South Coast called the "Otter trail". It runs along the coast from Storms River Mouth to Nature's Valley through some wild country, and usually takes about 5 days.
(Yes, there are otters in the area, hence the name).
On completing the walk, it has become traditional to celebrate in the Pub at Nature's Valley, so the hostelry has introduced a cocktail for the occasion dubbed "The Otter's "A...hole", no doubt derived from the proverb you mentioned, though it is usually the hiker, not the otter, that ends up "tight".
Thanks for that thorough explanation! Interesting context.
I’ve never heard the one about sleeping on a chickens lip but the one I know is “ I could sleep on a clothesline “ which means the same thing.
@@juliebrooke6099 yes, it's been really interesting hearing all the variations that people have been sharing in the comment section!
the 'duff' in up the duff is the same as the 'duff' in 'plum duff' (which is what you call Christmas Pudding if it is not for Christmas). So the phrase is analogous to 'bun in the oven'. 'Slinging one's hook' is going away or leaving - usually this phrase is an imperative so 'Swing your hook' is less polite than 'please leave' but more polite than 'f*** off'. I associate 'cannae' and 'dinae' with Scotland.
Yes, I think a lot of Scottish words are used in Northumberland... but they are truly Scottish.
Hi. Greetings from Basingstoke, Hampshire, uk. I remember hearing this saying from up north which is "put wood in hole" which means close the door. Hope this helps?
In a northern dialect - " put wood in t'hole😊
That's a funny one!
My dad used to say that - but it was "pu' wood i'th 'ole". He was from Billinge, near Wigan in Lancashire.
@robheyes6470 Still said in rural parts of Cheshire.
I love the phrase " ee, that'll be Belter" meaning I would like that very much
Haven't heard that one!
Thanks for the video, lovely commentary and wonderful colourful expressions. I'm a UK Southerner who lives with a Northerner and spent some time up North. Your 'Must grumble' T-shirt works, I get the joke! I also use the phrase, 'Mustn't grumble!' and yes, it's great to grumble sometimes. Some Northern words are useful and don't have a simple translation. 'Mither' is a great northern word too, 'Stop mithering me!' -Making a fuss and bothering. Another word from the North is 'nesh' used for people who feel the cold. We went to LA in January and in their mild winter locals were complaining about how cold it was - they were definitely nesh. I think 'up the duff' comes from 'dough' as in bread and cooking and being 'in the pudding club', like fat and pregnant. Another expression used for pregnancy in the UK is 'she's got a bun in the oven'.
@@vinceturner3863 I'm definitely nesh! Feeling cold here in Dallas today even though it's not really that cold 🥶
Mither is a GREAT word... I have been told about the word but I haven't actually heard anyone use it when they were speaking.
Thanks so much for watching this video and taking the time to leave such a fun comment ! Ta! Dara
mithering is pronounced mYthering.
Hiya, thanks for all your great videos. The phrase is had a "Right Ding Dong", you are correct it means had a big row or maybe a big fight, similar is "Went at it Hammer & Tongs" means "Went All Out", Cheers Chris
@@chrisbrown4002 thanks, Chris! I don't know if my hearing is going or I just wrote down ding dong incorrectly 🤣
Here are a couple more for you. I hope I haven't duplicated many.
I was born in Scotland, so as a wee bairn, church was always kirk.
Then we moved to Yorkshire.
Someone else here already mentioned "frame yourself". In Grassington (where I lived for a few years, and played folk music in the Forrester's) that would been "frame thysen" and if was aimed at me I'd have to "frame misen". In rural Yorkshire the use of thee, thou and thy remained common until the 1960s. (And yes, I am that old! or "knocking on a bit").
Kids didn't play in a puddle. Instead "Bairns laked in t'dub".
And to me a big pile of hay is not a haystack, it's a hayrick.
I hope that's of interest.
Those are wonderful! Thanks for sharing. Kirk is another reminder of how so many terms (like bairn and ta) have Nordic origins!
I assume you saw my Grassington video? Lovely place ;-)
I love the word "Nowt". I use it wherever I can get away with it. In Northumberland they also use "Henny" in place of "Love" or "Dear".
@@anulfadventures I need to work on figuring out how to insert it in my conversations 🤣
@@MagentaOtterTravels Also, you neglected to mention the antonym 'owt'.
"Have you got owt to eat?"
"No mate, I've got nowt. I need to go shopping."
Both are simply nought and ought in a Northern accent. 'Nought' is still in common use for zero (as in noughts and crosses - tic-tac-toe), and although 'ought' is considered archaic these days it is an actual word and means 'anything' or 'something' as opposed to 'nothing'.
As in "if tha ever does owt for nowt mek sure tha does it for thissen".
@@MichaelCook-f8y Exactly.
Yer don't get owt for nowt in this world = 'No such thing as a free lunch'.
In Sunderland, that would be 'hinny'
BTW, how's the kitchen refit going?
We got it done within 3 weeks of getting back to the U.S. Maybe Dara could post some photos.
It is FABULOUS to have a nice new kitchen! I just filmed some cooking videos, which I'll post in December, so then you can take a look ;-)
Owt for nowt - Something for nothing. It confused a few southerners when I used those words (my grandparents were from the north east) back in the 1960s/70s. I think they've become more normal.
'If tha does owt for nowt do it for thissen'!
Happy Families is a card game. It’s a special pack(deck) of cards not normal playing cards.
Ta! I didn't know that until I published this video!
Yes, the implication is the dysfunctional folks were just "playing Happy Families" ie pretending
Hello Dara, enjoy your reviews! I'm from hartlepool and a word that I used as a youngster,( ket) is a direct link to my towns danelaw past? it means sweets! my dad give me 2 shillings ( 1960s )and I'd go and by some mints. I know you like vera, hartlepool has often been used as a location
regards John
Oh yes, I remember Hartlepool! Thanks for sharing your memories ;-) Cheers! Dara
I spent 10 years working on Vera as a forensics officer. Canny times.
Are you serious?! That's amazing!!Have you seen my Vlog of Newcastle? If not, you have to see where we rented our bicycles from 😉. Cheers! Dara
You should visit Barnsley in South Yorkshire some time they are stuck in a time warp and still use thee and thou, you might even hear the phrase "aye tha dunt get art fer nart" which means 'indeed you dont get anything for nothing'. Art and nart is owt and nowt but just the way they say it; you may also hear them say "me sen" for 'myself' or "ar lass" for my girlfriend or wife. yes you would have a field day there if you like quirky dialects.
@@sihop9220 that sounds like a very fun place to visit! Although I'm certain I wouldn't understand anything that people were saying 😂
@@MagentaOtterTravels Its just a question of ear tuning, even people who are born here struggle to understand in places that are heavy on dialect.
Sayings we use in my area of Yorkshire, Frame, usually said to children who are taking too long/ messing around doing a task, ie a child taking forever putting on a coat and your in a hurry, ‘ Frame will you!’ or I’ve just cockled over, this is when your ankle twists to a side when your walking and your leg then gives way usually happens to us ladies when walking in heels. Also chow, I know Americans say it to mean eat food, but in Yorkshire well my area it’s an old dialect word meaning to be told off, ie ‘ If I do that my Mam will chow at me!’ Or ‘I came home late from school and my Mam chowed at me!’
Wow, I haven't heard those before!
I knew the words dinnae, cannae, and bairn because some years ago I came across Irvine Welsh's 'Trainspotting' at the library and since I had recently (at that time) heard a few people mention that movie on TV or on the commentary track of other movies I checked it out. Well,I read a few pages and didn't understand what I was reading as it was written in the Scottish vernacular. Then I had the idea to read it thinking in a Scottish accent instead of my own inner voice and it worked. The bairn in the book was a baby so I thought it was derived from new born and only referred to very young babies. Now I know bairn means child and is a descendant of the verb bear as in bearing children. I still haven't seen the movie nor the sequel they made approximately 7 years ago. Oh and I, too think that the phrase "up the duff" sounds a bit rude. I heard it on an episode of 'Red Dwarf' years ago and equated it with the term "knocked- up" which I feel is a negative judgy word towards the mother to be. There are probably people who use either of those phrases to say that someone is pregnant who are just conveying the news without any unfavorable thoughts of the expecting mother, but I wouldn't use either because of the connotations I give them. Well, this had ended up being quite a long comment so I'm going to let you go. Hope you're having a lovely day.
Thanks for the comment! I hadn't thought about bairn being connected to bearing children. That makes sense!
Speaking of accents, when you are natural and relaxed, you almost hit Dolly Parton.
Which is quite endearing.
I mustn't grumble, if I were to grumble, I would be about as useful as a catflap on a submarine...
Wow, I haven't heard cat flap on a submarine. That's hilarious!
Northern (Mancunian) saying used to express surprise, “ Well, I’ll go to the foot of our stairs“.
That's such a fun one!
I'm just North of Stoke on Trent and south of Liverpool and Manchester,and the stoke accent and sayings are unique to the area,they call everyone duck or they drink waiter(water).Snapping is sandwiches or packed lunch.They have a dialect all for the area.My brother in law lives in Sheffield and meeting anyone they say ay up,is thee okay.
It's fun to hear all the different things people say in various regions around Britain!
Most of the words, and phrases you mention, are well used in my County of Cheshire.
Do you consider Cheshire the North or the South?
@@MagentaOtterTravelsapparently Cheshire comes under North west England. We live in the southernmost part of Cheshire so don’t know if we count as northerners but really don’t feel a midlander either
A couple of other phases that are used everywhere in England ( I think)are that someone is 'away with the fairies' meaning divorced from reality, and someone is 'One sandwich short of a picnic" meaning they are doing strange or stupid things.
I remember the first time I heard "away with the fairies" and I thought it was SO FUNNY! That is something you never hear in the states.
As for your other saying... here in Texas we say "one taco short of a combination platter"! Same thing ;-) haha
Great video. I use our all the time. Our Ian or my brother is our kid.
@@cathnaylor2105 we love our Ian! 🩷
I used to live in Buckie, a town on the north facing Moray coastal region of Scotland. If you ever go there you will hear some different words and phrases. Males are "loons", females are "quines".
@@Phiyedough interesting! I'm not a male, but I've often been called a loon! 🤣
When referring to a very thin and small person my grandmother would describe them as “A bit of Summat dropped off Nowt!” Or “Like a matchstick with the wood scraped off!”
@@brianberry1931 lol!
Most accents in the UK have faded or softened. My mother’s family comes from the Potteries - six small towns that amalgamated into one. The towns sit on coal and clay deposits that made it the home of all the large makers of china and earthenware. Since everyone worked in the same industry, technical words and expressions fused into the language. At some point in the regions history, they began to exhaust their supply of shallow coal. At the time, the experts in deep coal mining came from Scotland, so the town 'imported' a large number of Glaswegian miners. It’s said that for quite a while the Scots and locals had terrible trouble understanding each other, then as time went by, the Scots put their mark on the local dialect, with some of their words and phrases entering 'the jargon' which is what the locals call the 'old way of speaking'. While the potteries has a unique accent, it is pretty typical of how many regional accents have come about.
Much of the language has come from 'invaders' the Vikings were a big influence and there were also Romans, Saxons and the Normans (French)
A lot of place names are derived from Saxon descriptions of the towns or settlements, other words are bastardizations of invaders languages - terms for food are often given as an example, when the Normans ruled, they were the ones who lived in the castles and ate the best food. The English peasants raised or grew the food, what was a pig or swine to a peasant became 'porcon' when served to the French masters. Cow became 'boef', sheep became 'mouton' and chicken became 'poulet'.
To this day, British folk keep pigs, cows, sheep and chickens, but at the table serve pork, beef, mutton and poultry.
As invaders themselves, the British also imported words. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of British soldiers were stationed in India. A single story house in the UK is called a bungalow, which along with pyjamas, jodhpurs etc. are words adopted from India.
This is the accent my grandparents and great aunt an uncles spoke with - as did most adults in the area when I was a kid, I still understand it, most British people will understand some of it, I think non- British would struggle quite a lot ? th-cam.com/video/Jyyywh6dqcA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=mFwjU8l285eLyF1Z
Very interesting, thanks.
Very interesting to think about all the origins and influences on our language! And by the way, I love the term "the potteries". I had not heard of that before!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Six small towns that grew into one, all involved in the same industry all the famous pottery companies were there, as well as China, Stoneware and Earthenware, there were other companies making all types of ceramics, like bathroom fittings and insulators for electrical equipment. I think the town is now under one council and goes by the name Stoke on Trent.
A lot of the original "hole in the wall" type shops have gone now, but the Staffordshire oatcake is unique to the area - one of the original fast foods, and a staple for anyone who grew up there. When I ws a kid and spending time a of of time there, you could tell where someone was born by which oatcake shop they went to. my grandad used to drive past several to go back to Hanley, because every recipe is a little different. You could buy them filled or in stacks of a dozen to take home - we never left without a few dozen packed away in the car
Love is more northern, but said down south as well but not as much...older people use princess in london to a younger girl...pet is very north east...sweet is used quite a bit and sweetheart all over the UK as well...
Sweetheart is American, but now Love is becoming more popular too ;-) But I doubt Pet will catch on!
@MagentaOtterTravels ...I always used sweetheart , so did my grandad ♥️
😢In Lincolnshire we say its sighling down for raining 😊note for nowt ,oat for ought, aye up for hello ,bain for child ,😊A good saying would be all fur coat and no knickers 😊work that one out yourself 😂.
The fur coat saying is like what we say in Texas... "all hat and no cattle"!
@@MagentaOtterTravelsthink the Texan one implies a person (usually a man) who is boastful but cannot back it up.
‘All fur coat and no knickers’ refers to a woman who is ‘no better than she ought to be’, ie of questionable morals.
PS ‘ta’ is another of those words like bairn/bain with Scandinavian roots. Ta = takk
My favourite would be 'come away in' to invite someone into your house.
Yes, that's confusing!
Just to let you know Vera (Brenda Blethyn) is from Kent.
@@stephentaylor1476 I have heard some northerners criticise her accent on the show. What do you think of it?
@@MagentaOtterTravelsbest to say “ a decent effort for a southerner”
Im originally from Cheshire and live in Wales, and still say Aye and nowt and owt and my kids hate it!...
Embarrassing and irritating our kids is a fun pastime ;-)
Same here, Cheshire (Northwich) lad born and bred, strong in arm, thick in 'ed (head) - same saying for some northern counties - Lancashire/Yorkshire.
Love the 'Must grumble' vibe, sad you needed to explain, but I'm sure you did need to.
Ta, for thanks, and goodbye is also used in London, as is 'Sling your hook', means go away, it was a docker's term.
I'm glad I am allowed to grumble a bit on occasion ;-)
Fill your boots to me means step up to the plate and fulfil your purpose; that could certainly mean not being shy to start eating!
Sounds like me! haha
I found it great fun to watch you talk about my Northern language 😀
Put wood in’t hole - shut the door
Turn t’big light off - turn off the main room light
Oi, cloth ears! - hey, pay attention
Get rodded - go away (rude)
Cock a hoop means over the moon - happy
Bent as a nine bob note - a criminal
- a pleased Yorkshireman -
@@WildHog-p1d I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! That saying about the cloth ears 👂 is funny! Hadn't heard that one before...
@@MagentaOtterTravels You hadn't heard it before because you've got cloth ears. 🤣
Sarah Jane Smith also used the term 'cloth eyes' on Doctor Who in the 70s. Never heard it before or since. She was from Liverpool. Maybe they use it there??
It's a pity I wasn't awake when you came up to Newcastle Dara. 🤣🤣
@@Poliss95 🤣🤣 that was back before you became an early bird! Lol
@@MagentaOtterTravels Puy is sick little bit. Hasn't been live for two days. I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. Went shopping and did housework instead.
A lot of the sayings can mean one thing and then the opposite ...its how they are said makes the difference between them as well ...
Good point. I hope I could tell the difference ;-)
Thanks , that was enjoyable , the saying ''tighter than an otters backside'' is more often a duck and i have often heard ''rough as a badgers'' , but , it's never as polite as the word bottom , it's always a ducks arse or a badgers arse (with its regional accent) 😁
Ah yes, definitely more colourful versions in circulation. But All Creatures is a family friendly show ;-)
@MagentaOtterTravels 😁😁
If something is very wet, you could say “it’s wetter than an otters pocket”
@ianallan8005 or 😏
I am born and brought up in Otley in wharfedale and my dad always used the phrase for a miser. Tighter than a camel's arse in a sandstorm.
@@kevinlee3793 haha that's a funny one... but of course I will opt for the otter option 😉
I haven't heard people say "Get a wiggle on", only "Get a wriggle on", I'm from London.
you can say get a wiggle on as well
Quite common in my phraseology. Brought up in the North but now reside in the decedant south.
They are both good!
Y'areet? Gan canny pet! 🙂
Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs. Bairns also used in Yorkshire. As much use as a Chocolate fire guard. As wet as an otters pocket.
As tight as a ducks arse.
"as much use as a chocolate fire guard" - that's a good one I haven't heard before
use the foot of our stairs in Lancashire also... I know what it means but I don't understand it! 😂😂😂
@@ians3586yes they are interchangeable
@@johnworf Sarcastic "stands back in amazement" Royal Navy "Well f... my tall hat"
Not quite a saying, but we used to call All Creatures Great and Small (the original) - 'All Creatures Grunt and Smell'.
Hahaha, I love that! Had to tell Ian because he loves silly puns like that!
My favourite Yorkshire saying is ' a faint heart never f***ed a pig'.