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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?

Well, fear not!

Back in 2014 we asked Gazette readers to send in their best examples of Teesside talk - and we got dozens and dozens of suggestions.

Here is a flavour of what our readers came up with - lovingly compiled by Gazette reporter Mieka Smiles, who also threw in a few more examples from her own Smogtionary of how to talk Teesside.

Don't forget to share, like! It might even be time for an updated version.





Read Teesside Tommy's guide to speaking like a Teessider



1. Saying “like” after everything

Usage: That's a canny nice car that like.

Translation: nothing, really, a filler word.

Submitter: @paulbailey1210



2. "Pretty canny"

Usage: That job's pretty canny, like!

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

Submitter: @philadelphia

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?

Submitter: @BoroMovieGeek

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?

Submitter: @mixinda

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.

Submitter: @AndrewSJinks



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.

Submitter: @mitchcarl29



8. "Yerjokinarnyer?"

Usage: Yerjokinarnyer - wearin' that jumper, like?

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

Submitter: Mick Campbell



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

Submitter: Glen Marshall



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.

Submitter: Jane Miller

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.

Submitter: Luke Frost



13. "What's the marra?"

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

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

Submitter: David Ward



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.

Submitter: Peter Mckeone



15. "Noworameanlike"

Usage: Tha's noworameanlike.

Translation: No. That wasn't what I meant

Submitter: Dave Cocks

(Image: Mirrorpix)



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.

Submitter: Sue Greenwood



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.

Submitter: Sue Greenwood



18. "Anno"

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

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

Submitter: Sue Greenwood



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.

Submitter: Daley Johnson



20. "Yorite cocker"

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

Translation: Are you okay friend? You look ill.

Submitter: Tracey Weldon



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?

Submitter: Jane Miller

23. "Werk shert"

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

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

Submitter: Danielle Johnson

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.

Submitter: Craig Gray

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.

Submitter: Danny Smith

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?

Submitter: David Meehan

30. "Tret"

Usage: I tret our lass to a pint.

Translation: I bought my partner a pint of lager.

(Image: Mirrorpix)

31. "Gis one off tha"

Usage: Gis one off tha mate.

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

Submitter: Liam Sunley

32. "Summat"

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

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

Submitter: Denise Storey

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.

Submitter: Neil Wakeford

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.

Submitter: Daniel Howe

36. "'Artlepool"

Usage: You off to 'Artlepool later?

Translation: Are you going to Hartlepool later?

Submitter: David Ward

37. "Yoos/youse"

Usage: Oy, where youse off to?

Translation: Hey, where are you two going to?

Submitter: Bruce Whitehouse

38. "Oover"

Usage: I'm gonna oover up.

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

Submitter: Stephen Barker

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?

Submitter: Kirsty Jane Smith

40. "Clammin"

Usage: I'm absolutely clammin' for a parmo me like.

Translation: I am extremely hungry for a Parmesan.

Submitter: Kirsty Jane Smith

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.

Submitter: Kirsty Jane Smith

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.

Submitter: Kirsty Jane Smith

44. "Going akka"

Usage: Have you seen that bloke going akka?

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

Submitter: Kirsty Jane Smith

45. "Gunna"

Usage: I'm gunna go mad in a minute

Translation: I'm going to have my sanity compromised imminently.

Submitter: Barbara Dybell

(Image: Mirrorpix)

46. "Doyles"

Usage: Look at them doyles.

Translation: Look at those idiotic people.

Submitter: Gary Ablett

47. "Looka"

Usage: Ere mate, looka.

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

Submitter: Peter Donoghue

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.

Submitter: Richard Darcy

51. “Gis a tan”

Usage: Gis a tan will ya?

Translation: Can you please let me sit on your handlebars whilst I pedal?

Submitter: Stephen Blair

52. "'Lendzafag"

Usage: Eere mate, do us a favour, lendzafag.

Translation: Hello there. Can I borrow a cigarette, please?

Submitter: Dan P Smith

53. "Propper whopper"

Usage: Propper whopper you like mate.

Translation: You're a complete idiot

Submitter: Greg Lunnon

54. "Rarfe"

Usage: What a total rarfe.

Translation: What an imbecile.

55. "Mush"

Usage: Now then mush.

Translation: Hello friend.

Submitter: Mark Dixon

56. "Mortal"

Usage: Let's go to the Dickens and get mortal.

Translation: Let's get very drunk at The Dickens Inn.

Submitter: Rita Tuley

57. "Buzzin’"

Usage: I'm propper buzzin' me.

Translation: I'm very happy.

58. "'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.

Submitter: Nancy Fellows

59. "Sparko"

Usage: He was proppa sparko.

Translation: He got into a fight and was knocked out.

60. "Yonks"

Usage: Captain Cook is propper yonks old.

Translation: Captain Cook is really old.

Submitter: John Pearce

(Image: Mirrorpix)

61. "Buckled wi lawa"

Usage: I've just been been paid at ICI and I'm buckled wi lawa.

Translation: I've just been paid at ICI and I have lots of money.

Submitter: Daniel Johnson

62. "Berger"

Usage: I've just necked a berger.

Translation: I've just eaten a burger.

Submitter: Jamie Meskill

63. “Mint"

Usage: Mallon's braces are mint.

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

64. "Keggy"

Usage: Have you seen lad's keggy?

Translation: Have you seen that boy's black eye?

65. "'Ows about"

Usage: 'Ows about a walk up to Captain Cook's monument?

Translation: Do you fancy a walk up to Captain Cook's monument?

66. "Summat"

Usage: I think I can smell summat.

Translation: I think I can smell something.

67. "Muskas"

Usage: Quick mate, the muskas are comin'.

Translation: Quick! The police are coming!

Submitter: Amanda Porritt

68. "Shot ‘em out"

Usage: Shot 'em out the pub mate.

Translation: Throw them out of the pub please.

69. "Sly Off"

Usage: "She proper slyed off with Laura last night."

Translation: She sneaked off with her friend Laura last night.

70. "Tarzy"

Usage: Haway mate let's go an play on the tarzy.

Translation: Come on, let's go and play on that rope tied to a tree like it's a swing.

71. "Wadded"

Usage: "He’s proper wadded him like."

Translation: He has lots of money.