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Sheffield Dialect


hougomont

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One of my Christmas presents is a lovely little book of Sheffield Dialects,with lovely words like Trankliments,Cornish,Cackhanded,and so on,words from my childhood and youth,as I do not live in Sheffield,are these and other such lovely local words still used,and should we preserve them,some times I use an expression which is greeted with some funny looks,for instance recently I referred to a "Snecklifter"and my friends did not know what I was on about!

Any comments and observations?

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One of my Christmas presents is a lovely little book of Sheffield Dialects,with lovely words like Trankliments,Cornish,Cackhanded,and so on,words from my childhood and youth,as I do not live in Sheffield,are these and other such lovely local words still used,and should we preserve them,some times I use an expression which is greeted with some funny looks,for instance recently I referred to a "Snecklifter"and my friends did not know what I was on about!

Any comments and observations?

Keep using those local words and expressions hougomont, its like a piece of missionary work, to people outside of Sheffield and not familiar with our tongue it's an education to them.

Whats more, if you use these terms often enough they even start using them themselves and become sort of "pseudo Sheffielders".

However, like many Sheffielders I am in the habit of using the word "while" when the correct word to use is "until" e.g. "I'm workin' 9 WHILE 5" instead of the more correct 9 UNTIL 5. As the Sheffield version is actually meaningless nonsense (although every Sheffielder instant recognises its intended meaning) amangst outsiders it can be met with a variety reactions from total dewilderment and misunderstanding to arguments about the correct use of English grammar!

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Keep using those local words and expressions hougomont, its like a piece of missionary work, to people outside of Sheffield and not familiar with our tongue it's an education to them.

Whats more, if you use these terms often enough they even start using them themselves and become sort of "pseudo Sheffielders".

However, like many Sheffielders I am in the habit of using the word "while" when the correct word to use is "until" e.g. "I'm workin' 9 WHILE 5" instead of the more correct 9 UNTIL 5. As the Sheffield version is actually meaningless nonsense (although every Sheffielder instant recognises its intended meaning) amangst outsiders it can be met with a variety reactions from total dewilderment and misunderstanding to arguments about the correct use of English grammar!

An example, the making of tea,I always say "Mash" some tea, but I was told "we brew tea and mash potatoes"

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But the mashing process is part of brewing :)

OK, forget about the tea, we'll just have the mashed and brewed beer.

Obviously us Sheffielders (notice use of US instead of We there, - a local dialect thing again) have got it right then as in brewing mashing is the process of pouring boiling water onto a variety of plant materials to leech out the flovours and essences (eg from hops).

But isn't that exactly the same thing you do when you "mash" tea (except that the hops have been replced with tea leaves)

Mash is actually a better term to use in relation to tea than brew, as the word brew has overtones of yeast and bubbling and frothing in the actual fermentation process. This happens in brewing beer, but not with tea, - unless some people are drinking some rather strange varieties of tea!

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To get back on topic away from the art of tea making and beer brewing.

What about the Saturday sports paper "Green 'Un" surely that is a local dialect version of "Green One"

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To get back on topic away from the art of tea making and beer brewing.

What about the Saturday sports paper "Green 'Un" surely that is a local dialect version of "Green One"

According to man Chapman back in our school days "un" was French for "one" anyway, perhaps its a French paper (Verte 'Un)?? With local football results??

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According to man Chapman back in our school days "un" was French for "one" anyway, perhaps its a French paper (Verte 'Un)?? With local football results??

Then it gets complicated is it 'un' or 'une (male or female), we can't really be sexist and say a sports paper is male can we

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Then it gets complicated is it 'un' or 'une (male or female), we can't really be sexist and say a sports paper is male can we

Man Chapman's influence again

un = male, une = female, gender refering to the object.

In this case the "Green 'Un" (Verte Un) is a newspaper, newspaper is le journal, le = male, therefore un not une, so "Green Un" is in correct French gender"

Another local dialect use of 'un for one is the expression

"Thaart a reight 'un"

but somehow the translation "Tu es un droite 'un" doesn't really work does it? Too many 'un's in one statement.

{ sorry about all this hougomont but it is the day before New Year's eve and I've spent most of the day looking at a 2010 holiday brochure while drinking Cognac, - guess where I'm thinking of going this year?}

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Man Chapman's influence again

un = male, une = female, gender refering to the object.

In this case the "Green 'Un" (Verte Un) is a newspaper, newspaper is le journal, le = male, therefore un not une, so "Green Un" is in correct French gender"

Another local dialect use of 'un for one is the expression

"Thaart a reight 'un"

but somehow the translation "Tu es un droite 'un" doesn't really work does it? Too many 'un's in one statement.

{ sorry about all this hougomont but it is the day before New Year's eve and I've spent most of the day looking at a 2010 holiday brochure while drinking Cognac, - guess where I'm thinking of going this year?}

Top Tip

try a 2009 holiday brochure for next year, the days/dates fit together better :)

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Top Tip

try a 2009 holiday brochure for next year, the days/dates fit together better :)

It was a 2009 one!! But I can't read it straight after all that Cognac, and besides those prices look like 2010 prices!

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As Ecclesfield is now in Sheffield might I quote this from An Old Ecclesfield Diary ?

Of the weather....

" First it blew

An' then it snew

An' then it thew

An' then it friz horrid."

:)

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Guest plain talker

We mash tea, we brew beer!

My late Uncle was courting a Birmingham lass, when I was a small child. I remember him bringing her up toSheffiled on a visit from Brum, and my mother asking the girlfriend to come into the kitchen to mash a cup of tea for everyone with her.

The young woman was puzzled about my mothers comment and reached up and got the potato masher down off the rack of the Skyline set (remember Skyline kitchen tools?) and handed it to my mum.

The Girlfriend genuinely thought that my mum literally meant she was going to "mash" the tea with the potato masher.

Forty years on the memory of that misunderstanding still raises a smile.

(And don't forget the local phrase "the whole bag o' mashings".)

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My late Uncle was courting a Birmingham lass, when I was a small child. I remember him bringing her up toSheffiled on a visit from Brum, and my mother asking the girlfriend to come into the kitchen to mash a cup of tea for everyone with her.

The young woman was puzzled about my mothers comment and reached up and got the potato masher down off the rack of the Skyline set (remember Skyline kitchen tools?) and handed it to my mum.

The Girlfriend genuinely thought that my mum literally meant she was going to "mash" the tea with the potato masher.

Forty years on the memory of that misunderstanding still raises a smile.

(And don't forget the local phrase "the whole bag o' mashings".)

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Guest BUXT0NGENT

One of my Christmas presents is a lovely little book of Sheffield Dialects,with lovely words like Trankliments,Cornish,Cackhanded,and so on,words from my childhood and youth,as I do not live in Sheffield,are these and other such lovely local words still used,and should we preserve them,some times I use an expression which is greeted with some funny looks,for instance recently I referred to a "Snecklifter"and my friends did not know what I was on about!

Any comments and observations?

Whilst I never lived in Sheffield, I've followed the Owls all my life, and for a number of years now, have come into contact with 'Dee Daa's.

I have a small booklet which I will look up, called 'SHEFFIELDISH or how she is spoke' which translated some of the old sayings. One I remember particularly, is a Sheffield woman addressing an American Couple - Bow-Sheff? Tha means Beechiff, duck.

I must go but I will look it out publish the details later.

Ex Hoyland, Clowne & Buxton

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Some nice local dialect in the verse on another thread on this site which is linked below

Ruddy Cheek!

It confuses me to have a supermarket called ASDA. They should be made to call it something else or at least give it its full name, Associated Dairies!

Why?

Because whenever anyone says ASDA to me I automatically assume they are asking me a question.

Everyone knows that ASDA translates into "proper English as "Have you" and so automatically starts a question like.

Asda bin ter tarn?

or

Asda sin dat ont telly?

ASDA?

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Guest BUXT0NGENT

whilst bringing my Grandaughter (almost 2) home on thurs. the weathear was a little inclement. On arriving home I said to my wife 'It's chucking it down'. When her mother arrived to pick her up, she said on seeing the rain, ' Mummy, Chucking down!'

Another local saying transported into deepest Cheshire.

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Guest BUXT0NGENT

One of my Christmas presents is a lovely little book of Sheffield Dialects,with lovely words like Trankliments,Cornish,Cackhanded,and so on,words from my childhood and youth,as I do not live in Sheffield,are these and other such lovely local words still used,and should we preserve them,some times I use an expression which is greeted with some funny looks,for instance recently I referred to a "Snecklifter"and my friends did not know what I was on about!

Any comments and observations?

After you'd paid for your first, did they buy the rest?

Very interested in this book. What's it's title?

I have several similar books, one of my favourites being 'EE, By Gum Lord' The Gospel stories told in broad Yorkshire. It looks nothing as you read it, but try reading aloud and it makes far more sense.

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whilst bringing my Grandaughter (almost 2) home on thurs. the weathear was a little inclement. On arriving home I said to my wife 'It's chucking it down'. When her mother arrived to pick her up, she said on seeing the rain, ' Mummy, Chucking down!'

Another local saying transported into deepest Cheshire.

There are several expressions for raining depending on how heavy the rainfall actually is from "spitting" (just a few spots) to "bucketing", "chucking" and "sileing" down for the heaviest, along with one or two other expressions for heavy rain which are best not repeated here.

(How many people use "sileing" outside of Sheffield?)

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There are several expressions for raining depending on how heavy the rainfall actually is from "spitting" (just a few spots) to "bucketing", "chucking" and "sileing" down for the heaviest, along with one or two other expressions for heavy rain which are best not repeated here.

(How many people use "sileing" outside of Sheffield?)

What about

"Its coming down like stair rods"

Perhaps some of our younger members don't know what stair rods are, perhaps for another topic.

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What about

"Its coming down like stair rods"

Perhaps some of our younger members don't know what stair rods are, perhaps for another topic.

Must admit I have never heard of that saying,

is that what comes after 'It's black Or Bills mothers'

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Must admit I have never heard of that saying,

is that what comes after 'It's black Or Bills mothers'

Who exactly was Bill's mother, she always seems to suffer with bad weather.

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