From: "P. Steele" <[P C Steele] at [newcastle.ac.uk]>
Subject: Nagee submission ?
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 93 10:58:39 BST

Someone suggested that this may have a place in the NAGEE.  It's a list of
Tynesprawl slang.  I eventually hope to do a review of Newcastle and it's
surrounding regions, but in the meantime you may find this suitable for
submission.

                          GEORDIE A BEGINNERS GUIDE

Why "Geordie" and what makes the dialect so unique ?  The origins of the Geordie
has been a matter of much discussion and controversy, you just need to tune into
"Night Owls" (a local radio program) a phone-in which regularly debates this
subject with passion!  One explanation in particular seems most convincing.  In
the 1800's there word was a term of abuse likened with idiocy.  King George III
was an unpopular monarch and was insane (the link here: Geordie = insanity;
surely not).  His son took the throne in 1811.  George IV, as he was, had a
reputation for extravagance, and his love of pleasure and promiscuity were
notorious (Geordie - extravagance, pleasure and promiscuity; thats more like
it !).

Basically, the word Geordie was a term of abuse.  It became linked with
Newcastle in the 19th Century, when the middle classes of the city, who disliked
and feared the mining community used the word to refer to miners.  As the reign
of George III and George IV passed, people soon forgot about their disagreeable
characteristics and Geordie gradually ceased to be an insulting word and
eventually was accepted as a friendly term when applied not only to pit men,
but to anyone who lived in this area.

There is no definitive Geordie dialect.  There are considerable variations
spoken in Northumberland and Durham.  The word and phrases listed below are for
practice in private only.  Try them out on a real Geordie and they'll soon
realise you're a southerner, think you're taking the mick, and most likely
"stove ya heed in !".


AA		To owe. Aa aa nowt - I owe nothing.
AAFUL		Awful.  She set off the aafulest shrieks.
AAL		All.  Aal reet - all right.
BAIRN		A child.
BASH		To hit with violence.  She bashed the door i'me fyece.
BATTER		A drinking bout.  He's on the batter agyen.
		Prostitution.  She's on the batter.
BLAA		To blow:  Blaa the leet oot. - Blow the light light.
BLAA OOT	A "Blow out".  A drinking bout.
BORD		A bird.  Today slang for a girl.
BOWK		To belch/vomit.
BRAZEN		Impudent, shameless.  She's a brazen hussy.
BUGGER		A rough term of affection in the North.  A cany aad bugger.
BYEUT		Boot.  A byeut i' the hintend.  A kick in the backside.
CAKHOOSE	A latrine.
CAAKY		Animal or human waste.
CANNY		"An embodiment of all that is gentle, kindly and good".  The
		highest compliment that can be paid to a person is to say that
		he or she is canny.
CHEBBLE		A table.
CHEP		Chap.  Canny aad chep.
CLAGGY		Sticky.  Claggy taffy - sticky toffee.
CLAMMIN		Hungry, thirsty.  Aam clammin for a drink.
CLARTS		Mud.
CRACK		Gossip.  To hev a bit crack.
DEE		Do.  Before a vowel becomes div.  Div aa knaa him ?  The
		negative is divvint (don't).
DORTY		Dirty.  She's a dorty body.
EE		An expression of delight/horror.
ELWIS		Always.
FAALLEN WRANG	Become pregnant.
FETTLE		Good condition.  What fettle marra ?
GAAK		Stare
GADGIE		An old man employed as a watchman.
GAMMY		Lame.  He's got a gammy leg.
GEET		Big.  Geet big gob - Great big mouth.
GYETSID		Gateshead
HAAD		Hold.  Haad yer gob - Hold your mouth.
HAAD ON		Hold back.  Haad on a min't - Wait a moment.
HACKY		Tyneside slang for dirty.  Hacky Dorty - means very dirty.
HADAWAY		Begone.  Hadaway we' ye.  Also used as a term of encouragement.
		Howay the lads is a corruption Hadaway.
HADDIN		Holding.  He was haddin on for bare life.
HEOR		Here.
HEYEM		Home.  They hed sic a heyem coming as nivvor was.
HEZ		Has.  He hez nowt.
HINNY		Local pronunciation of honey.  A favourite term of endearment
		applied usually to women and children.  Often used togther with
		the simliar word canny.
HINTEND		Posterior.
HOITY-TOITY	Flighty, assuming airs. (Southerners ?)
HONKERS		Haunches.  Especially in the expression of sitting on his
		honkers.
HOUSIN		The capabilty of holding a lot.  He has a good housin for drink.
HOW		A salutation.  Especially in How there, marra ?  Followed by
		the reply What cheer hinney.
HOY		To throw.  To hoy a stone - To throw a stone.
HOYIN OOT TIME	Closing time for a pub.
HYEM		Home.  I'm gannin hyem.
IVVOR		Ever.
JAA-BREAKER	A long word.
LAA		Low.  He wis varry laa doon - He was in very low spirits.
LAD		A sweetheart.  She was gan a waak wiv her lad - she was out
		walking her sweetheart.
LEAZES		Stinted grass pastures.
MOW		Moment.  Had on a mow - wait a moment.
NARKT		Annoyed.  He was very narkt - He was very annoyed.
NEB		Nose.
NETTIE		Lavatory.
NEWCASSELL	Usually in form Canny Newcassell.
REET		Right.  Used in many expressions.  Not reet iv his heed.
SCRAN		Food.
SHOOT		Shout.
SHORT		Shirt.
SLORP		To make a noise when eating or drinkning with a spoon.  He
		slorped his tea.
SPIT AN' IMAGE	Likeness.  Applises either to a person or a thing.  He's a 
		spit an' image of his fethor.
TATIE		A potatoe.  Tatie-bogle - scarecrow.
US		Used for me.  Wiv us - with me.
VAR NIGH	Very nigh.
WIV		With.  Wiv a coal in each hand.
WIVOOT		Without.  It's lone wivoot him, that bonny lad o' mine.
WRANG		Wrong.  Wrang iv is heed dearranged.

Compiled from: "The New Geordie Dictionary" by Frank Graham.



-- 
Phillip Steele
[P C Steele] at [ncl.ac.uk]
University Of Newcastle Upon Tyne