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Leeds local lingo

Ay Up, nar then, if any of yon Southern fairies come up tut Leeds, don’t get flummoxed by’t Tyke language, tha’ll need nowt but a bit o’ gumption.  

Despite the multi-culturalism and influx of lawyers and accountants which might be thought to have diluted the traditional dialect - Tyke - there remains a tangible desire to retain this vernacular. Proper Yarkshiremen will know that the Tyke dialect is quite distinct from the ‘farmer-speak’ Yarkshire Yammer, so you’ll learn nowt from watchin’ Last of t’Summer Wine, which gives Yarkshire-speak a kind of whimsical charm. No, Leeds-talk has always been accented by an industrial realism.

So, Leeds’ global village status has not killed off Tyke; that amazing and impenetrable talk, which without the aid of your intrepid Itchy guide would be like listening to Klingon. Indeed you get a real sense that Leeds locals retain their lingo to simultaneously retain their local identity, of which they are fiercely proud and also to confuse any non-Leeds folk. But if it’s a drink you’re after, then Tyke comes even more into its own- you’re advised to drink fast here-you must “sozzle”, “guzzle” or “gollop” your drink to show enjoyment, but be careful, or you’ll be “drunk as fuzzocks”.

Another example of a word that you’ll probably think is simply there to bamboozle you is the strange use of the word “while” in direct replacement for “until”. So if you’re wondering about that party invite which tells you it “on while 12”, don’t turn up fashionably late, as the party will only be on until 12.  

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