Yorkshire Sayings

[Philip Jarvis]

Eyup – I know that some members of the forum either hail from or currently live in Yorkshire. However, I believe the vast majority live in other parts of the British Isles, or even overseas. In case any of you are planning a visit to Yorkshire, either at Christmas or later in 2010, I thought you might benefit from knowing some of our local sayings. See how many you can translate (n.b. the “g” is always pronounced the same as in “got”).

Time allowed: 20 minutes
0 to 10 correct answers: You obviously live in Sussex or some other posh County
11 to 20 correct answers: You have clearly never travelled any further North than Watford Gap
21 to 30 correct answers: You’re clearly well travelled, but would benefit from spending more time in Yorkshire
31 to 40 correct answers: You were either brought up or currently live in Yorkshire
41 to 49 correct answers: Presumably, you’re from Barnsley or the immediate surrounding area
All correct: It’s time you brushed up on your Queen’s English

Translations will be provided next week.

Yorkshire Saying
1 Aberritinters
2 Ameknawunda thars cold. Git thi coiton
3 Apeth weth ospice
4 Astha wagged off skoil?
5 Asta gorrit withy?
6 Asta seenim ont telly?
7 Astagorratanna?
8 Astha gorrit reet?
9 Astle clowte thee if tha duntgeeoer
10 Ateldim burrewunt lissen
11 Ayampt eared nowt
12 Azeegeniter?
13 Cantha kumerowerowse tunneet?
14 Corforus arpastate itmornin
15 Eedurant purrizeeas undert watter
16 Eenose nartabartit
17 Eesezeantaddit
18 Eesezitintiz - burraberritiz
19 Eez gooinooam
20 Eez nobutta babbi
21 Geeoer chelping anshut tha cake’ole
22 Geeoer gawpin
23 Gerartnit
24 Gerritetten
25 Giuzit
26 Happen yureet
27 Iaintgorrit
28 Intitot
29 It dunt marrer
30 Lerrer gerontbus
31 Lerrim purrizaton
32 Lerrus gerrus andswesht
33 Lerrus gerrut pixchers
34 Middads gorrajag
35 Nardenes, wotdaydooin?
36 Oowurriwee? Wurree weeizsen?
37 Owzeeno?
38 Purremineer
39 Shut thigob
40 Smarrerweeim?
41 Somonemz gorragerroff’tbus
42 Summatsupseer
43 Supwidee?
44 Tantad nowt duntoit
45 Thakkan iftha wannts
46 Thalafter gerra newun
47 Thawantsta wesh thi eerolle aht
48 Tintintin
49 Weers gaffer?
50 Wiv gorra gerrus imbux

[Ian Volante]

ah struggld wiacuplathoze

[Lesley Hines]

Unfortunately the closest I came to living in Yorkshire was an interview at Bradford. I have, however, read some Frances Hodgson Burnett so I've done my best

[James Robinson]

I'm from Yorkshire, but I'm not fully used to these sayings either. My excuse is that neither of my parents are from Yorkshire. My dad is from Leicestershire and my mum is from Dudley, West Midlands.

[Allan Harmer]

ahaint nowtburra suthenjessie butahgot moustovem reet

oor summat leektha!

[Philip Jarvis]

ahaint nowtburra suthenjessie butahgot moustovem reet

oor summat leektha!

Nice one Allan - I think you'd manage to manage to hold your own if you had to stop for directions in Barnsley. Most of us from the rest of Yorkshire try to avoid that.

[Howard Somerset]

Pretty confident with 45 of them, and my wife then added a 46th.

I guess that having a wife who comes from Yorkshire probably helped. Nice one, Philip

[Philip Jarvis]

This post contains spoilers!


My interpretation of each saying is as follows:

Yorkshire Saying Translation
1 Aberritinters I bet it is not hers
2 Ameknawunda thars cold. Git thi coiton I’m not surprised that you are cold. I suggest that you put your coat on
3 Apeth weth ospice A halfpenny worth of sweets
4 Astha wagged off skoil? Have you played truant from school?
5 Asta gorrit withy? Have you got it with you?
6 Asta seenim ont telly? Have you seen him on the television?
7 Astagorratanna? Have you got a sixpence piece?
8 Astha gorrit reet? Have you got it right?
9 Astle clowte thee if tha duntgeeoer I shall hit you if you don’t give over (stop it)
10 Ateldim burrewunt lissen I told him but he wouldn’t listen
11 Ayampt eared nowt I haven’t heard anything
12 Azeegeniter? Has he given it to her?
13 Cantha kumerowerowse tunneet? Can you come to our house tonight?
14 Corforus arpastate itmornin Call for me at half past eight in the morning
15 Eedurant purrizeeas undert watter He daren’t put his ears under the water
16 Eenose nartabartit He knows nothing about it
17 Eesezeantaddit He says that he has not had it
18 Eesezitintiz - burraberritiz He says it isn’t his – but I bet it is
19 Eez gooinooam He is going home
20 Eez nobutta babbi He’s nothing but a baby
21 Geeoer chelping anshut tha cake’ole Stop talking loudly and shut your mouth
22 Geeoer gawpin Stop staring
23 Gerartnit Get out of it
24 Gerritetten Please ensure that you eat it
25 Giuzit Give it to me
26 Happen yureet Perhaps you are correct
27 Iaintgorrit I have not got it
28 Intitot Isn’t it hot?
29 It dunt marrer It does not matter
30 Lerrer gerontbus Let her get on the bus
31 Lerrim purrizaton Let him put his hat on
32 Lerrus gerrus andswesht Let me get my hands washed
33 Lerrus gerrut pixchers Let me get out the photograph album
34 Middads gorrajag My father has got a Jaguar
35 Nardenes, wotdaydooin? Now then, what are you doing?
36 Oowurriwee? Wurree weeizsen? Who was he with? Was he by himself?
37 Owzeeno? How does he know?
38 Purremineer Put them in here
39 Shut thigob Please be quiet
40 Smarrerweeim? What is the matter with him?
41 Somonemz gorragerroff’tbus Some of them will have to get off the bus
42 Summatsupseer Something is wrong here
43 Supwidee? What is wrong with you?
44 Tantad nowt duntoit It hasn’t had anything done to it
45 Thakkan iftha wannts You can if you want to
46 Thalafter gerra newun You will have to get a new one
47 Thawantsta wesh thi eerolle aht You ought to wash your ear hole out
48 Tintintin It is not in the tin
49 Weers gaffer? Where is the boss?
50 Wiv gorra gerrus imbux We have got to get our hymn books

[Jason Larsen]

How do you know I like British food?

The proof is in the Yorkshire pudding!

[Charlie Reams]

How do you know I like British food?

The proof is in the Yorkshire pudding!

The phrase is "the proof of the pudding is in the eating", not "the proof is in the pudding".

[Jason Larsen]

Thank you for letting me know that, Charlie!

I had no idea!

[Jeff Clayton]

And that'll be have, not had.

[Jason Larsen]

Jeff.

[Jeff Clayton]

Eranu.

[Lesley Hines]

Eranu.

Uvavu

[Jason Larsen]

Jeff, I don't understand what you're saying.

[Ralph Gillions]

...neither do I (and I'm from Yorkshire.)

[Phil Makepeace]

Here, Jason (and Ralph).

[Ralph Gillions]

Thanks Phil.
(I would never have solved that without your guidance!)

[Jason Larsen]

So, in other words, Craig Charles would be a bad eranu host of Countdown?

[Phil Makepeace]

What's Craig Charles got to do with anything?

[Jason Larsen]

Charlie said that Craig Charles would make a bad replacement for Des O'Connor on Countdown. So, instead of saying Craig would have been a bad new host of Countdown, I said he would make "a bad eranu host!" Making a joke Yorkshire style.

Take that, Cindy Ritson!

[Ian Volante]

This recent thread development is a reminder why I never gave Vic Reeves another chance after once watching his Big Night Out in the early nineties.

[Jason Larsen]

Ian Volante!

[Ian Volante]

Tadaaa!