Evening Gazette readers' suggestions of some of the words and phrases used on Teesside . Orig published in the Gazette 10 February 2014

Now then!

Are you new to Teesside? Or perhaps you have lived away for a while and yearning to hear the familiar twang of your roots?

Maybe you live in the area and heard Brian from number 53 use a phrase you didn't understand the other week?

Gazette readers sent in their best examples of Teesside talk - and we got dozens and dozens of suggestions.

1. Saying “like” after everythingUsage: That's a canny nice car that like.

Translation: nothing, really, a filler word.

2. "Pretty canny"

Usage: That job's pretty canny, like!

Translation: That's quite good! (can also mean 'that's quite big')

3. Every word ending in 'ter' being replaced with an 'a' – butter, matter, batter etc

Usage: What's the matta with yer?

Translation: What is the matter with you?

4. "Get" 

Usage: Come ere, yer little get.

Translation: Come over here, you rascal.


5. "Ee-ya mate"

Usage: Ee-ya mate, can ya go in the shop for us?

Translation: Excuse me, could you go in the shop for me please?

6. "Arr kid"

Usage: Me an arr kid are gonna tell me mam yer nicked her parmo.

Translation: Me and my brother/friend are going to tell our mother that you stole her parmo.


7. Dropping the letter H

Usage: We're goin' ter 'ospital - our Dave fell off the shed roof again.

Translation: We are going to hospital. David has fallen from the shed roof again.


8. "Yerjokinarnyer?"

Usage: Yerjokinarnyer - wearin' that jumper, like?

Translation: You are joking, aren't you? Wearing that jumper


9. "Swear down"

Usage: Ere proper swear down, ah neva seen yer cat, like.

Translation: I promise that I don't know what happened to your cat

10. "The Bongo"

Usage: Yer'll nevva guess who ended up at the Bongo last night?

Translation: Club Bongo International is a renowned Middlesbrough nightclub located ‘Over the Border’


11.  "Nithered"

Usage: I'm proper nithered 'ere, mate. It's baltic down Redcar today.

Translation: I'm really very cold, my friend. It's cold at Redcar today.

12. "Giz a croggy"

Usage: Can ya Giz a croggy over the border mate? Me bike's been nicked.

Translation: Can you please let me ride on the handlebars of your bike while you pedal to the other side of town friend? My bike has been stolen.


13. "What's the marra?"

Usage: What's the marra wi' you pet?

Translation: What's wrong with you my friend/loved one?


14. "Proper devvoed!"

Usage: I'm proper devvoed about the Boro last night, like.

Translation: I'm really very upset about Middlesbrough Football Club's result last night.


15. "Noworameanlike"

Usage: Tha's noworameanlike.

Translation: No. That wasn't what I meant

16. "Eerrr norrrr!"Usage: Eerrr norrrr. Ahm not trekking up Roseberry Topping today, like.

Translation: Um, no. I don't feel like going up Roseberry Topping today.

17. "Perrple"

Usage: We're gonna be perrple if we go over the Tranny today.

Translation: It's so cold that we'll turn a shade of purple if we use the Transporter Bridge today.

18. "Anno"

Usage: Anno mate it's proper shocking that like.

Translation: I know friend, that's really unfair.


19. "Do us a parmo"

Usage: Do us a parmo mate - I'm off down Southfield Road on a black'n later.

Translation: Make me a parmo please friend. I would like a meal before the consumption of alcohol later at Southfield Road's public houses.


20. "Yorite cocker"

Usage: Yorite cocker? You're looking a bit pasty, pet.

Translation: Are you okay friend? You look ill.
 

21. "Ripped off/Rippage"

Usage: Arrrrggggggggggggggghhhhhh ripped off mate

Translation: I can clearly see you are annoyed my friend.

NB. Children have also been known to accompany this phrase with a ‘ripping’ action.
 

22. "Mafted"

Usage: I'm mafted 'ere mate - giz us a lemon top.

Translation: I'm feeling too hot . Can you please get me an ice cream?


23. "Werk shert"

Usage: I'm gonna put on that perrple werk shert.

Translation: I'm going to put on my purple work shirt.


24. "Aggy Bo/Aggy Boo/Aggy Bo Bo"

Usage: Ah Aggy Bo - I'm tellin' Mallon. 

Translation: Ha ha, the joke is on you - I'm informing the authorities.

NB. This phrase is often accompanied with a flutter of one’s fingers across one's chin.

25.  Ayaz

Usage: Ayaz. That proper knacked.

Translation: Ow. That really hurt.

26. "Yaravinalaffarnya"

Usage: Boro winning over new year? Yaravinalaffarnya.

Translation: Middlesbrough Football Club performing well over the new year? You must be joking.


27. "Tellyerworitisrite"

Usage: Ah tellyerworitisrite - that Redcar Beacon is c**p

Translation: I'll tell you something - I don't think that Redcar Beacon is very good. 


28. "Scunner/How scunnerish"

Usage: What a total scunner

Translation: There's a person with limited means or limited morals

29. "A squeeze back"

Usage: You gonna get us a squeeze back at the match then?

Translation: Are you going to sneak me through the turnstile at Ayresome Park?


30. "Tret"

Usage: I tret our lass to a pint.

Translation: I bought my partner a pint of lager

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31. "Gis one off tha"

Usage: Gis one off tha mate.

Translation: Can I please have a puff of your cigarette?


32. "Summat"

Usage: Are you gonna give us summat for our birthday?

Translation: Are you going to give me something for my birthday


33. "Gadgey"

Usage: 'Ere look at that radged gadgey climbing on the Bottle of Notes.

Translation: Here here. Look at that man climbing on that fine artistic structure.


34. "Tanking Down"

Usage: Eee, it's proppa tankin down outside.

Translation: Isn't it raining really rather heavily?
 

35. "Look at the clip of him/her"

Usage: Look at the clip of that lass.

Translation: That girl doesn't look very nice.


36. "'Artlepool"

Usage: You off to 'Artlepool later?

Translation: Are you going to Hartlepool later?


37. "Yoos/youse"

Usage: Oy, where youse off to?

Translation: Hey, where are you two going to?


38. "Oover"

Usage: I'm gonna oover up.

Translation: I'm about to vacuum clean the house, now


39. "Meeting"

Usage: Eee, did yer norr he was meeting that lass?

Translation: Did you know that he was having a romantic meeting with that girl?


40. “Mint"
Usage: Mallon's braces are mint.

Translation: The mayor of Middlesbrough Ray Mallon has fabulous braces.


41. Bag ‘ed

Usage: 'Ere 'Ave you seen that bag 'ed?

Translation: Look! Have you seen that drug addict?

42. "Eeeeee nor"

Usage: Eeeeeee norr, I wouldn't dare me, like.

Translation: Of course not. I would not dream of it.


43. "Sound as a pound"

Usage: He's sound as a pound that Gibbo.

Translation: The chairman of Middlesbrough Football Club is a good fellow.


44. "Going akka"

Usage: Have you seen that bloke going akka?

Translation: Have you seen that gentleman who is very irate?


45. "'Ave your eyes out"
Usage: They'lll 'ave your eyes out down the Doggy Market.

Translation: You won't get very good value for money at Ormesby Market.

46. "Doyles"

Usage: Look at them doyles.

Translation: Look at those idiotic people

47. "Looka"

Usage: Ere mate, looka.

Translation: Hey, friend, take a look at this.



48. "It's Baltic."

Usage: God, It's absolutely Baltic at Redcar today like.

Translation: It is extremely cold at Redcar.

 

49. "A Beast"

Usage: What a total beast that was.

Translation: That was a particularly difficult challenge.

50. "Moocha"

Usage: Propper moocha 'im like

Translation: He is someone who is really taking advantage of others.