29 phrases you'll only understand if you're from Lancashire
These are 'foreign' to people outside Lancashire
If you live or work in Lancashire then you'll almost certainly have heard many of these sayings, but while you might think they're part of every day language, some are TOTALLY 'foreign' to people outside of the Red Rose County.
Honestly! To those new to the area, or visiting Lancashire, terms such as Ah'reet cocker, barm and cowd result in a very confused face, with some not even being able to guess at their meanings!
Here are 29 phrases you'll only understand if you're from Lancashire:
1. Ah'reet cocker? / Ah'reet cock?
Definition: Alright mate?
Example: "Ah'reet cocker?" / "Ah'reet cock?"
2. Barm / Teacake
Definition: A bread roll.
Example: "I'll have a bacon and egg barm/teacake please."
3. Babby
Definition: Baby.
Example: "Ah look at that babby."
4. Cakehole, a variation of this is piehole.
Definition: Mouth.
Example: "Shut your cakehole!"
5. Cowd / Kewd
Definition: Cold.
Example: "It's cowd out there."
6. Cracking Flags
Definition: Really hot weather.
Example: "It's cracking flags out there today!"
7. Ginnel
Definition: A small alleyway between two (usually terraced) houses.
Example: "I keep my bike in my ginnel."
8. Harping on
Definition: Doesn't stop talking about something, to the point of annoyance.
Example: "She keeps harping on at me about her birthday."
9. I were a gate and he were a gate
Definition: I said and he said.
Example: "I were a gate and he were a gate we should go to the beach."
10. Jiggered
Definition: Tired.
Example: "I'm really jiggered today."
11. Maiden
Definition: Clothes horse.
Example: "Will you hang the washing on the maiden please?"
12. Manchester caviar
Definition: Mushy peas.
Example: "I'll have some Manchester caviar with that please!"
13. Mithering
Definition: Bothering or fussing over someone or about something.
Example: "Stop mithering me."
14. Moggy
In some parts of the county moggies aren't cats.
Definition: Insects.
Example: "I hate the moggies in the summer evenings."
15. Ow do
Definition: How are you?
Example: "Ow do mate!"
16. Owt
Definition: Anything
Example: "Do you want owt else to drink?"
17. Pop
Definition: Fizzy drink.
Example: "Please can I have a bottle of pop?"
18. Put th'wood in th'owl / Put wood ith'ole
Definition: Close the door.
Example: "It's freezing, put th'wood in th'owl!" / "It's freezing, put wood ith'ole!"
19. Scran
Definition: Food.
Example: "I'm so hungry, I need some scran."
20. Sken
Definition: Stare.
Example: "Are you skennin at me?"
21. Tret
Definition: Past tense of treat.
Example: "I tret myself to a segway ride for my birthday!"
22. Wi
Definition: With.
Example: "I went to the cinema wi my friends."
23. Powfagged
Definition: Shattered or really tired
Example: "I'm powfagged!"
24. Degging
Definition: To water a plant
Example: "I'm degging."
25. Skrike
Definition: Shriek or scream
Example: "Stop skriking!"
26. Mizzling
Definition: A very specific type of light rain
Example: "It's mizzling!"
27. Baggin
Definition: The time of the day when work stops
Example: "It's baggin!"
28. Thronged
Definition: Very busy
Example: "I'm thronged!"
29. Noddy
Definition: A foolish person
Example: "He's a noddy."
Read more:
You know you're in Lancashire when...
10 facts you might not know about Lancashire
12 famous people you probably didn't know were born in Lancashire