BRADFORD and Yorkshire are well known for their unique words and phrases for a wide variety of things
Some sayings are peculiar either to Bradford or God’s Own County. Some might be used in other parts of the country, whether they were taken from here or elsewhere.
Here is a list for starters and I’m sure you have many, many more, so over to you, leave them, with their meanings, in the comments section below.
Cracking the Flags: When then sun comes out and the hot temperatures arrive, this is the phrase that’s used
Doilum: Yorkshire word for a fool or idiot, often could be used to describe the drivers on Channel 5’s Police Interceptors
Daft apath: Silly person
Aye: Simply means yes
Bratferd: Not a typo by me but how many people in Bradford pronounce the city
Sen: Means self
Corporation pop: Tap water
Bob Into: To go into, as in ‘bob into the pub’.
Ginnel: a way to describe an alleyway.
Scraps: Those lovely loose bits of batter in your fish and chips.
Owt fer nowt: To get something for nothing
Nobbling: To kid or trick someone.
Allus: meaning always. “I allus wash behind me ears.”
Bagsy: meaning to claim something for yourself. “Bagsy me in the front seat” (of the car).
‘eck: meaning hell. “Ooh blooming ‘eck, are you alright?”
Faffin’: meaning messing about. “Stop faffin’ wi yer ‘air, it looks fine.”
Lass: meaning girl, wife or woman
Lug ‘ole: meaning ear. “lend me your lug’oles, I have some news for yer.”
Manky: disgusting
Narky: moody, sullen, sulky. “She’s narked off at sommat.”
Parky: Not just former City manager Phil Parkinson, but a meaning for cold
Flummoxed: Means stumped over something
Gormless: Is often used to describe someone who is a bit erm…clueless
Starved through: Very cold
Chuffin’: A phrase you’ll often hear said by Billy Pearce at the Bradford panto
Gradely: Very good or satisfying
Offcumdun: Someone not from Yorkshire
Bairns Laiking: Children playing
Sithee: Goodbye, see you later, contraction of See Thee. “Aye lad, Sithee!“
Summat: something. “I need summat to do at the weekend.”
Wang: to throw. “Wang it over here!”
Waller: person
Middlin’: OK, fair, average. “I’m fair t’middlin, thanks.”
Mithering: annoying or bothering; ‘stop mithering me’
Giz: give me.
Gander: look; ‘let’s have a gander at that’
Cadge: Borrow’ ‘can I cadge a lift off you?’
Gawp: To stare’ ‘what you gawping at?’
Scran: Food
Tab Hanging: Listening in (to a conversation)
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