窶連VE A WORD
the Survival Guide to Manchester Slang
“Make a brew our kid, I’m right nesh!”
‘AVE A WORD with Manchester If you were new to Manchester, would you be confused? Many refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the region most certainly are. In fact, many native English speakers would be quite confused too!
This dictionary aims to bring together some of the most common words and phrases of the region, as well as other useful slang from around the country. With a better understanding of the local language, we hope new arrivals to the area will find it easier to become part of their local communities…
Manchester
ing d n ta s der n u is m n ia Mancun
I had only been in Manchester for a few months when I went to a local social event. When I arrived, I was asked ‘Do you want a brew?’ It was eleven o’clock in the morning so I was surprised to be offered a beer at this time and politely declined. I looked around and saw people drinking teas and coffees and so I asked if I could have a cup of tea, not realising that this is what I had been offered in the first place!
I was very embarrassed, but now, whenever anyone comes to visit me, I always offer them a ‘brew’!
Accents across the Greater Manchester region vary greatly — someone from Salford will sound different from someone from Wigan (and both would claim not to be Mancunian!) These notes are therefore a guide only, and may not be true for all people from the region.
GUIDE to Mancunian pronunciation The letters ‘t’ and ‘g’ at the end of words are often not pronounced. i.e. ‘alright’ is pronounced ‘alrigh’’; ‘chilling’ is pronounced ‘chillin’’ The letter ‘h’ at the beginning of words is often not pronounced. i.e. ‘hello’ is pronounced ‘’ello’
‘t’s in the middle of words are often replaced with a glottal stop (in effect they are also not pronounced). i.e. ‘letter’ is pronounced ‘le’er’; ‘sorted’ becomes ‘sor’ed’ Vowels sounds are often longer in Mancunian, especially in ‘-er’ endings. i.e. ‘a fiver’ may be pronounced as ‘a fiveeer’
map: openstreetmap.org
Guide to the word list Parts of speech
&
n. Noun an object, thing, person e.g. table, woman, paper, dog adj. Adjective word used to describe something or someone e.g. good, cold, beautiful vb. Verb action word e.g. go, eat, play adv. Adverb word used to describe a verb e.g. very, quickly, badly phr. Phrase
A–C Slang Translation
A
to bounce
vb.
leave
a round of toast n.
a slice of toast
break a leg
phr.
good luck
ace
adj.
very good
brew (1)
n.
cup of tea or coffee
alright?
phr.
hill
‘ave a word phr.
how are you?
brew (2)
n.
to have a talk / chat with someone
bro
n. brother
burn
adj. good
butty
n. sandwich
buzzin‘
adj.
B baccy
n. tobacco
bang on
adj.
perfect
bap
n.
bread roll
barm
n.
bread roll
barmy
adj. mad/eccentric
barney
n. argument
blimey!
phr.
(exclamation of surprise)
blinder
n.
a great thing / event
blinding
adj.
very good
bloke
n. man
blud (blood)
n.
friend/brother
bob on
adj.
perfect
bobbins
adj.
not good
bobby
n.
police officer
bog
n. toilet
booze
n.
alcoholic drink
very happy / excited
C champion adj. good cheers
phr.
thank you to relax
to chill out
vb.
chillin’
adj. relaxing
chilly
adj. cold
chinwag
n.
chat (talk)
to chip off
vb.
to leave fish and chip shop
chippy
n.
chuck
vb. throw
chuck it
vb.
chuffed
adj. very pleased / happy
throw it away
cigs
n. cigarettes
cob
n. bread roll
copper
n. police officer
D–H D
G
da the
gaff
n. home
daft
adj.
get lost!
phr.
dead
adv. very
get yer mad up phr.
dibble
n.
police officer
gigs
n. glasses
go away
silly, unwise, stupid
go away! become angry
do one
phr.
ginnel
n.
covered alleyway between houses
dodgy
adj. untrustworthy
give over
phr.
stop it
dope
adj.
really good
gob
n. mouth
down our end
phr.
where we live
going off
adj.
drizzle
n.
light rain
gonk
n. idiot
dry
adj. boring
out of control
gormless adj. stupid grand
adj.
very good
E
a grand
n.
1,000 pounds
epic
gravy
adj. good
adj. good
F
gump
n.
foolish person
gutted
adj.
upset / disappointed
fags
n. cigarettes
famo
n. family
H
fib
n. lie
hanging
a fiver
n.
five pounds
have a cob on
phr.
being grumpy
flippin’ heck
phr.
exclamation of surprise
having a buzz
phr.
having a good time
flix (flicks)
n.
cinema
heads
n. people
hi
greeting hello
hiya
greeting hello
hotpot
n. stew
adj.
dirty / unattractive
I–M I I am telling ya
phr.
honestly!
I haven’t the foggiest
phr.
I have no idea
in a bit
phr.
soon
innit?
phr.
isn‘t it?
in the club
phr.
pregnant
it was a piece of cake
phr.
it was very easy
K kak
adj.
M ma
n.
mother
mad fer it
phr.
enthusiastic
Manc
n./adj. Mancunian
manky
adj.
dirty / horrible
mard
n.
bad mood
mardy
adj.
bad tempered
mate
n.
friend
minging
adj.
unclean/unattractive
mingey
adj.
mean
bad, rubbish
mind out!
phr.
be careful!
adj.
good / great
adj.
rich / wealthy
karnos
adj.
chaos
mint
keks
n.
trousers
minted
kippered
adj.
tired
knackered
adj.
tired
mither vb.
bother / pester pronounce ’i’ as in ‘five’
mithered
adj.
to be hassled
muck about
vb.
to play around
muggy
adj.
cloudy and humid
L lad
n.
boy/man
lass
n.
girl
later(s)
phr.
goodbye
let’s crack on
phr.
let’s get on with it
loo
n.
toilet
lothered
adj.
sweating
mum
n.
mother
my bad
phr.
my mistake
N–S N
potty
nesh
adj.
weak / feels the cold
nice one!
phr.
great, thank you!
proper
very ‘that was proper good.’
nippers
n.
young kids
pure
adj.
really good
nowt
n.
nothing (rhymes with ‘out’)
nowty
adj.
grumpy
put wood in t‘ hole.
phr.
shut the door.
numpty
n.
stupid person / idiot
O
adj.
mad / eccentric
Q a quid
n.
one pound
oh dear!
phr.
what a shame!
R
on your bike
phr.
go away
our kid
n.
brother or sister
right very ‘that was right good.’
over the moon adj.
happy
right as rain
phr.
all good / fine
owt n.
anything (pronounced ‘out’)
rozzer
n.
police officer
P
S sarnie
n. sandwich
schnoz
n. nose
scran
n. food
pal
n.
friend
peeps
n.
people
peppered
adj.
have no money
see you in a bit phr.
see you soon
pint
n.
a pint of beer
pop
n.
soda
seeing your backside
getting annoyed
poorly
adj.
unwell
shut your gob
phr.
be quiet, shut up
adj.
good / fantastic
n. sister
posh
adj.
rich / classy person
sick
potato hash
n.
mashed potato and meat
sis
phr.
S–Z skanky
adj. disgusting
skenning
vb.
watching something
a tenner
n.
ten pounds
top
adj. good
town
n.
town centre
trolleys
n.
trousers, underwear
turn it in
vb.
stop it
tutty
n.
lipstick / make-up
skenning like a whelk
phr.
skids
n.
knickers, underpants
skint
adj.
poor, have no money
skrieking
vb. crying
skuds
n. underpants
W
slopstone
n.
well
adv. very
smokin’
adj. good
wicked
adj.
not seeing very well
the sink
very good
snappers n. underpants Y
soft
adj.
silly / stupid
sorted
adj.
ready / good
y’ all right?
phr.
are you alright? (How are you?)
n.
bouse / back of house
phr.
you are telling lies
spanner
n.
a stupid person
yard
spitting
vb.
raining lightly
yer fibbin’
spuds
n. potatoes
stroll
n./vb.
slow walk
summat n. something sweating cobbs adj.
really hot
T ta ra
goodbye
ta ta
goodbye
ta
thank you
you barmy dog phr.
you are very silly
youse
pronoun plural of you
you what?
phr.
pardon?
Z zig
n.
passionate kiss
MORE Mancunian misunderstanding “My name is Jeph. The first time I came to Manchester, I was really confused about the pronunciation. “One day I was in my hostel and the people I lived with were having a conversation in which I had to take part. They were using words like ‘barmy’, ‘chuffed’, ‘gutted’ and ‘naff’ – they were difficult to understand but I tried to cope. “Some other friends were greeting me, saying ‘waguan, Jeph?’ At that time I could not understand that they were asking me ‘Where are you going?’ so I just smiled and tried to show them kindness.
Most of the time they were not pronouncing all of the words. “I was terrified about those words and how the pronunciation was so fast. Even up to now I am facing some difficulties.”
Acknowledgements
You would not be holding this survival guide to Manchester slang in your hands in its present form if it had not been for the invaluable help and support of several groups and individuals. First of all, we would like to thank clients of Refugee Action’s Gateway Protection Programme for highlighting the problems new arrivals to Manchester face when trying to understand local dialects, and therefore providing the inspiration for the ‘Ave a Word with Manchester’ project, and this guide to Mancunian slang.
Without the commitment and hard work of several Refugee Action volunteers, this dictionary would also not have been possible. Special thanks goes to them, including Michael Dietrich, Marcianne Uwimana, Jane Jacoby and Liz Oliech for the many hours and the imagination they have given to the project. Thanks also to staff of Refugee Action Manchester who lent their support, ideas and accents to the project! Many thanks also go to N. Tafesse and Jeph Mupira for sharing their stories of Manchester miscommunications with us, and
giving permission for those stories to be printed within these pages. Thank you to the individuals and families who have allowed their images to be used. Some images have been changed to protect client identities. Finally, thank you to all those supporters who have donated to the project. Most notably, thanks to Forever Manchester and the International Society in Manchester for their generous support in helping to print this dictionary The ‘Ave a Word with Manchester team
This dictionary represents the culmination of work on the ‘Ave a Word with Manchester Project at Refugee Action which came about after a number of refugees told us that, despite speaking good English, they still had difficulty understanding the local accents and phrases.
Refugee Action Manchester 23-37 Edge Street Manchester M4 1HW
During the Project, resources were produced to help refugees and other newcomers to the area better understand the local language. To access these free resources, please email info@refugee-action.org.uk
Refugee Action London Victoria Charity Centre 11 Belgrave Road London SW1V 1RB
Refugee Action is an independent, national charity working to enable refugees to build new lives. We provide practical emergency support for newly arrived asylum seekers and long-term commitment to their settlement. As one of the country’s leading agencies in the field, Refugee Action has more than 30 years’ experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with refugees. www.refugee-action.org.uk
twitter.com/refugeeaction facebook.com/refugeeaction photo credits: Claudia Janke/Refugee Action Charity Registered Number 283660 Company Registered Number 01593454