Transwiki:Geordie dialect words

Geordie dialect words are the vocabulary of the Geordie dialect, spoken in North East England. The dialect owes a lot to the Scandinavian languages. Many words are shared with other Northern dialects, while others are individual and restricted to Geordie. This article is an exhaustive list of the Geordie vocabulary.

There are four etymologies for the name Geordie but none of them is definite:

1. From the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 in which the Jacobites bypassed Newcastle, which favoured King George—hence "for George".
2. From the coal mines of Durham and Northumberland. The Oxford English Dictionary gives two meanings:
   1. (more properly a "yellow geordie"), a guinea with a picture of George I, George II or George III on it, i.e from 1714 to 1799, also 1813. (St. George never appeared on a guinea, only on the sovereign which was introduced in 1817 to replace the guinea.)
   2. a pitman.
3. The North East miners preferred the lamp invented by George Stephenson to that invented by Sir Humphrey Davy and eventually, the miners themselves became called Geordies (a familiar form of George).
4. In 1826 George Stephenson gave evidence to a parliamentary commission on railways at which his blunt speech and dialect drew contemptuous sneers. From that date Londoners began to call the keelmen who carried coal from the Tyne to the Thames "Geordie."

Originally the name applied only to miners, then also to keelmen, and later to inhabitants of Newcastle upon Tyne. Later still, it became applied to members of the Tyneside Community at large and nowadays, anyone in Northumberland, County Durham or Tyne and Wear can call themselves "Geordies." However residents of Sunderland and Wearside may be offended if referred to as Geordies, and many prefer to be called a "Mackem" to distinguish themselves from their Geordie neighbours.^{[citation needed]}

The pronunciation of Geordie has the following sound change:^[1]

• The suffix "-er" becomes "a.":
  • "Father" is pronounced "fatha", both "a" sounds as in "hat".
• "-Er" sounds in words like "work" becomes "or"
• Many "a" sounds become more like "e":
  • "hev" for "have"
  • "thet" for "that"
• Double vowels are often pronounced separately as diphthongs:K
  • buət for "boat"
  • biət for "bait"
• The "or" sound in words like "talk" changes to "aa" (tark):
  • "waak" for "walk" and "work"
• The "ow" changes to "oo":
  • "doon" for "down"
  • "toon" for "town" — hence "the Toon" meaning 'the town' (Newcastle)
• Some words acquire extra vowels, this has given the dialect a reputation for requiring the addition of as many vowels as possible into a word.
  • "growel" for "growl"
  • "cannet" for "can't"

Example:

• Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs, / Aa'll tell yer aall and aaful story, / Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs, / An' Aal tell yer 'bout the woorm.

Almost all the words lacking a reference are taken from Spotter Book 21 "Geordie To English Dictionary" (1990 – revised 2007). This is supplemented by material from other sources, which are referenced following this section. Words listed are in some cases not exclusive to Geordie and may in use in the dialects of other areas and counties.

• A – A word with several meanings
  • A – (preposition) – on – as – "A this side = on this side"
  • A – (verb) – have – as "Aa wad a thowt se = I would have thought so"
  • A' – see Aall – All ^[2]
• Aa – A word with several meanings
  • Aa – all – "Thor aa' gyen = they are all gone" or "It's aa ower = It's all over"
  • Aa – (pronoun – 1st person) – I – as – "Aa divvin'knaa – I do not know" -see also AW
  • Aa – (verb) – To owe – as "Aa aa nowt – I owe nothing"
  • Aa – see Owe – Own
• Aa warnd – I suppose – as "Aa-warnd ye think yorsel' clivvor? =. I suppose you think yourself clever?"
• Aabut – almost or all but
• Aad – A word with several meanings
  • Aad – Old – as "An aad wife – an old woman" – see also Owld – from Old English Eald
  • Aa'd – I had – as "Aa'd better gan canny – I had better be careful"
  • Aa'd – I would – as "Aa'd a bin there mesel – I would have been there myself"
  • Aa'd – see Aad – I had
• Aad-farrand, Aad-farran – see – Aad-fashint – precocious, old-fashioned ^[2]
• Aad-fashint. Old fashioned
• Aad'un – a familiar name for the devil – as "Ye he' the impittence o' the aad'un = You have the cheek of the devil" ^[2]
• Aaful – Awful – as "She set off the aafulest shrieks"
• Aah – Oh
• Aakwaad or Aakward – Awkward
• Aal – All – as "Aal reet – all right"
• Aall – All – see Aal
• Aa'll – I will
• Aallgates – Always, all manner of ways, however, at all events, in every way – as "Aw've sowt for'd aallgates" ^[2]
• Aalreet – Alright – A (semi rhetorical) question – as "Aalreet = hello, are you well (or alright)"
• Aaltogither – Altogether – as "Aaltogither like the folks o'Shields" – A well known Tyneside proverb illustrates the clannishness of the people of Shields
• Aa'm – I am – as "Aa'm gannin hyem = I'm going home"
• Aamacks – Of all kinds – as "Aamacks o' things = All sorts of things" ^[2]
• Aan – Own – as "Me aan fireside = my own fireside"
• Aa's – I'm, I am, I is, I will, I shall
• Aback, Abacka, Abaken – Behind, at the back of – as "Aback o' the hoose = At the back of the house" ^[2]
• Aback-a beyont – Far away – as "He lives abacka beyont"
• Aback-a-behint – The extreme rear of anything ^[2]
• Abbut – An introductory word translated as 'Ay, but,' or 'ah! but' – as "Abbut a will = yes (or err) I will" ^[3]
• Abed – In bed ^[3]
• Abeyun, Abyun, 'Byun – Above ^[2]
• Ableeze – On fire
• Aboot – About, around – as "A'll twist yer neck about = I will twist your neck round"
• About – see Aboot
• Abune – Above ^[3]
• Acas – Because – as "He couldn't run acas on his bad foot" ^[2]
• Addle, Aidle, Eddle – To earn. (from Icelandic) – as "He addles three ha'pence a week, That's nobbut a fardin' a day = He earns 1½d per week, that's only ¼d per day" – from the Song, My Laddie Sits Ower Late ^[2][4]
• Adit – Horizontal gallery for draining a mine
• Ae – One – (probably from Scottish Gaelic)
• Afeard – Afraid – as "Thor's nowt to be afeared on = There's nothing to be afraid of"
• Afoor – Afor – Before – as "Gan on afore = Go before me" ^[2]
• Afta – After
• Aftahs – Dessert, After the main course
• After-damp – also called Choke-damp – the noxious gas resulting from an explosion of fire-damp down the mine
• Agee, Ajye, Ajee – On one side, atwist – (pronounced with the 'g' sounded soft) ^[2]
• Agyen – Again (pronounced a-gay-en) as "But the times o' wor prosperity. Will niver cum agyen" from The Pitman’s Happy Times by Joseph Philip (J.P.) Robson, "Bard of the Tyne and Minstel of the Wear"
• Ah – see Aa ^[2]
• Ahaad or Ahad – Hold – as "Get ahad on 't = Get a hold on it"
  • Ahaad - Ablaze as "Shu's weel ahaad noo" = "It's well ablaze now"
• Ahint – Behind -as "Come in ahint was the shepherd's cry to his dog)
• Aidle – see Addle – to earn ^[2]
• Airc – A large chest ^[2]
• Airf, Airfish – Apprehensive – as "Yen's rether airfish aboot eet = You are (or appear) a bit apprehensive about it" ^[2]
• Airm – Arm
• Ajye, Ajee -see Agee- A twist ^[2]
• Alain – Alone
• Alang – Along
• Ald – see Aad – old
• Ald Nick – The Devil
• Algates – see Aalgates – in every way ^[2]
• AlibasterR – A large marble made of alabaster ^[3]
• All abroad – Bewildered – Old proverb "Like a gyoose oot on' the heed = Like a goose out of its head, i.e. bewildered" ^[3]
• Aller – The alder.
• Alley – A boy's marble
• Aloo – Allow
• Alow – ("ow" pronounced like ou in trout) – Ablaze, alight – as "It wis aall iv alow iv a minute =It was all ablaze in a minute" ^[2]
• Alreet – Alright
• Alwes – Always
• Amain – Without check – when a set of wagons breaks loose they are said to run amain.
• Amang – Among – of Old English origin
• Amangst – Amongst
• Anall – And all, as well, A common pleonasm (unnecessary word), often signifying nothing, though it may stand for also – "He was there and all = he was there as well" ^[3]
• Andirons – irons on the hearth to support burning wood ^[2]
• Anenst, Anent, Nenst – Over against – as "ships from anens Hartlipowll" ^[2]
• Anunder – Under ^[2]
• Any amoont – Plenty
• Anyways – Anyway
• Apple Sheely – Chaffinch ^[2]
• April Gowk – April fool
• Aran-web- Cobweb ^[2]
• Arf, Arfish, Arth – Unwilling, sorry, pitiful ^[2]
• Argie, Argy – To argue -as "Divvent argie = Don't argue"
• Argyin' the toss – Argyin' the toss = You dispute a decision or choice which has already been made
• Arle, Yearl – To bind by payment of money or arles ^[2]
• Arnicks – The bulbs of the buttercup species ^[3]
• Arse – Backside
• Arse-Loop – A wide loop in the rope by which a man was supported when repairing a pit-shaft
• Arth – see Arf ^[2]
• Ask – A small lizaid, or newt (A dry-ask or a watter-ask) ^[2]
• Ass – Ash, or ashes ^[3]
• Assay – I say -as "Assay, what are ye dein = I say, what are you doing?"
• Ass-Midden – Ass-pit – An ash heap ^[2]
• Assil-tyeuth – A grinder or molar tooth ^[2]
• At – That – as "----- At aa nearly tummeled off = ----- That I nearly fell off"
• Atop, Atopa, Atopan – On the top of – as "Yor fethor's atoppa the hay-stack = Your father's on top of the hay stack" ^[2]
• Attercop, Ottercop – Spider or web ^[2]
• Atwist – see Agee – On one side ^[2]
• Atwix, Btwixt – Between ^[2]
• Aud – see Aad – old ^[2]
• Auld – see Aad – old
• Auld-farand – Cunning, sagacious beyond one's years. (Spelling copied from "A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, Obsolete Phrases, Proverbs" by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps)
• Aw – (pronoun of the first person) – I – as "Aw went te Blaydon Races = I went to Blaydon Races" – from the song Blaydon Races written by George "Geordie" Ridley – also see AA
• Awd – see Aad – old ^[2]
• Awelt, Awell, Awert, Cassen – Of a sheep when cast upon its back and unable to move ^[2]
• Awn – see Aan – own ^[2]
• Aw's – see Aa's – I am ^[2]
• Ax, Axe – Ask -as "Ax wor lass = Ask my wife" – from the Old English Acsian to ask
• Aye – yes – A word continually used -as "Why aye = Of course"
• Ayont – Behind -as "He comes from Hexham Green, and that's ten miles ayont Hell" from the Hexham proverb

• Ba' – see Baal
• Ba sang – See ----Sang – An exclamation ^[2]
• Baa gock – see Gock – An everyday expression of surprise ^[3]
• Baad – Ill.
• Baaf – see Baff – a blank ^[3]
• Baak, Balk, Bawk – A word with several meanings
  • Baak, Balk, Bawk – A rafter or tie beam ^[2]
  • Baak, Balk, Bawk – A roost for a bird ^[2]
  • Baak, Balk, Bawk – A square piece of timber ^[2]
  • Baak, Balk, Bawk – Unploughed turf left between the ploughed lands as a boundary in the open town fields ^[2]
• Baal – A ball
  • Baal – Baster Ba' – A ball made of paper, attached to a string and could be used to attack other children – (see also BAAL)
  • Baal – Clootie Ba' – A ball made with rags and used by children as a football
  • Baal – Keppy Ba' – Handball – a ball that is thrown and caught
  • Baal – Stottin' Ba' – A bouncing ball
• Babby-boodies – Broken crockery, used as playthings by children ^[2]
• Bab-Net – A net used on the Northumberland coast – as "in fishing for sea trout off rock ends they use a bab-net of 5 inch mesh" ^[2]
• Baccy – Tobacco
• Back – A word with several meanings
  • Back – A fishing line used for haddock, etc., at sea – as "the principal line to which snoods are spliced, each snood being attached to a hook by a hair line" ^[2]
  • Back – A parting in the seam of coal ^[2]
• Backcast – Relapse – "Thoo's getten a backcast = You've had a relapse" ^[3]
• Backside – Buttocks, arse or hint end
• Backstone – A flat stone used for baking ost-cakes, etc. "The bakstone was often 3 or 4 ft in diameter, capable of holding 2 cakes, and fixed upon 3 or 4 pillars; the girdle was lee and lighter, and upon an iron tripod, called a brandreth." from "A history of Northumberland" by Rev John Hodgson ^[2][5]
• Back end – A term for autumn.
• Back-by – Just behind, away from the face of the coal and nearer the shaft, is said to be 'back-by ^[2]
• Back-over – Return, to come back – as "He cam back-ower tiv us = He came back to us" ^[2]
• Back-shift – There are two shifts normally worked down the pit. The first is the fore-shift, the second is the back-shift.
• Back-side – The back of a building. Geordie comedian Billy Purvis used to ask the crowd from his front stage to enter his show, saying: "them 'at dissent like to waak ower the stage can come in bi Billy's backside ^[6]
• Back-sticks, Bake-sticks – A triangular frame of wood or iron, resembling a small easel, with a prop at the back, for holding girdle cakes in front of the fire to finish the baking, or sometimes to warm an old cake ^[2]
• Bad – III -as "He's had one of his bad torns – He's had one of his bad turns"
• Badly-liked – Disliked
• Badly-off – Poor, not well-off
• Bad-Man's oatmeal – The seed and flower of the hemlock
• Bad-Weather Geordy – A name applied to cockle sellers, cockles being in greatest demand at the most stormy in the year ("The sailors' wives at the seaport towns of Northumberland and Durham consider the cry of the cockle man as the harbinger of bad weather, and the sailor, when he hears the cry of 'cockles alive,' in a dark wintry night, concludes that a storm is at hand, and breathes a prayer, backwards, for the soul Of Bad-Weather-Geordy"' – Stephen Oliver's Rambles in Northumberland, 1835) ^[6]
• Baff – A blank – pitmen were paid fortnightly one week was pay week and the other was the baft week
• Baggie – The stickleback ^[2]
• Baggit-fish – A salmon on the eve of depositing its ova ^[2]
• Bagie – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bagie – The belly
  • Bagie – The turnip ^[3]
• Bairn – A child – a homely word which denotes affection – from Old English and Old Norse
• Baist – To beat.
• Bait – Food – or Food taken to work (Robert Wilson) ^[7])
• Baities – Fisher girls who gather bait (archaic) ^[2]
• Bait bag – Food bag
• Bait-can – A metal container to carry food to work.
• Bait-poke – A metal container to carry food to work ^[6]
• Bake-sticks – see – Back-sticks – A frame for holding girdle-cakes ^[2]
• Balk – see Baak – A word with several meanings ^[2]
• Bally – A lever for turning points on a railway (named from the big iron ball on the stem) ^[3]
• Band – A thin layer of stone or shale interstratified with coal – sometimes a thin stratum of any kind ^[2]
• Bane – A bone ^[2]
• Bane-wort – The daisy ^[2]
• Bang – A word with several meanings
  • Bang – To strike violently – as "The blacksmith's hammer yark for yark, we hear no longer bangin'. Up the raa. Thou bangs thee muthor me canny bairn. You are better than your mother" from a Local song) ^[6]
  • Bang – To excel
  • Bang – A strong fir pole, a long pole used for guiding or propelling a boat ^[2]
• Bank – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bank – A steep road or incline – not a hill as often suggested. See Byker Bank, Newcastle, Battle Bank, Gateshead ^[6]
  • Bank – Miner's language for the 'pit'-surface, top of 'shaft as against underground – "To work at bank = to do the colliery work above ground" ^[3]
• Banked up – Applied to coal piled up at the colliery or on the fire.
• Banksman – The man in control at the top of the shaft of a pit.
• Banky – With many banks or gradients – as "A banky road"
• Bannock – A thick cake of oat, barley or peas meal usually unleavened – Gaelic in origin.
• Banty – A bantam.
• Bap – A baker's roll -as "an ha'penny bap"
• Barebacks – Turnips with the tops cut off ^[2]
• Bargie – A claim.
• Bark – A bad cough – as "he was barkin' his heed off"
• Barley – To claim – Almost always used by children in games – as "Aa barleyed forst kick = I claim first kick"
• Barney – A word with more than one meaning
  • Barney – A fight or argument.
  • Barney – Barnard Castle
• Barra – Barrow
• Barras – Obsolete word for a barrier in front of a fortress where tournaments were held. Barras Bridge at Newcastle derives its name from the knightly encounters which took place there ^[6]
• Barries – Berries ^[2]
• Barrowman – see Putter, Hand Putter and Pony Putter
• Barry – To bury
• Bash – To hit with violence -as "She bashed the door i' me fyece = She closed the door in my face"
• Bason crop – Hair of head cut straight round is if a basin had been placed on the head. (Three apprentices, "showing themselves disobedient and very obstinate, were first in open court (where a dish is said to have been kept, by the edge of which their hair was cut round) made exemplary by shortninge their hair." – as described in the Books of Merchant Adventurers. Newcastle, December 7, 1649) – from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4) ^[6]
• Bastard Sole – The lemon sole or lemon dab ^[2]
• Baste – To thrash – as "Aa'll gie ye such a byestin' as ye nivver got i' yor life – I'll give you a beating like you've never had before"
• Bastel-House, Bassel-House – A fortified house, common near or on the Border – The ground floor was a large apartment with vaulted roof. Over this were the living rooms of the owner ^[2]
• Baster Baal – A ball made of paper, attached to a string and could be used to attack other children – (see also Baal)
• Bastile – The workhouse ^[2]
• Bat – A blow -as "A bat i' the feyce = A blow in the face"
• Bath – (verb) – To wash any one in a bath – to be bath'd not bathed (for bathe see Bave) – Children are always 'bath'd' ^[3]
• Batter – A word with more than one meaning
  • Batter – A drinking bout -as "He's on the batter agyen = He's out drinking again"
  • Batter – Prostitution -as "She's on the batter"
• Batty – A small cake – as "Thoo shall hev a spice batty on tha borthday" ^[2]
• Bave – Bathe – see also Bath ^[3]
• Bavin' Hole – piece of water dammed up (such as shallows at bank of river) ^[3]
• Bawk, Bawlk – see Baak – A word with several meanings
• Baxter – A baker ^[2]
• Bay – An enclosure in outdoor children's games. Usually a place of safety – as "Thoo canna catch me. noo aa's in the bay = you can't catch me now I'm in a safe place"
• Beak – The nose.
• Beans – Small coals, so-called for their size. Duff is the smallest coal left after screening; peas are next in size; beans next grade higher; then nuts, – roondy coal being the largest in size ^[2]
• Bear – Barley with six (or four) rows of grain on its ear ^[2]
• Beastlins, Beasting – The first milk of a newsly-calved cow ^[2]
• Beat, Bet, Betten – to excel, surpass, overcome in contest ^[2]
• Beatment – A measure holding a quarter-peck ^[2]
• Beb – To act as croupier in the gambling game of 'pitch and toss' ^[2]
• Bebber – One who gathers in the pennies in the gambling game of 'pitch and toss' ^[2]
• Beck – A small stream – The name is virtually restricted to South Durham, Yorkshire, and Cumbria – An Old Norse word
• Bed – Getten her bed – see Getten her bed – confined ^[2]
• Bedfast – Bed-ridden ^[3]
• Bedstock – The 'stock', or strong side timber of a bedstead ^[2]
• Bedstraw – A plant of the Madder family, formerly used as straw for stuffing mattresses – as "He was a thin man,—looked as if he lived on his own bedstraw") ^[3]
• Bed-Goon – A bed gown, a nightdress
• Bed-Goon – Generally a loose jacket worn by women in the harvest field, any loose working garment worn by women – as "Hor bedgoon is laelock. – Her jacket is lilac in colour" – from Cushie Butterfield ^[8]
• Bee-Bike – A wild bee's nest ^[2]
• Bee-Bird – The spotted flycatcher ^[2]
• Bee-Skep – A beehive – used to be made of straw
• Beel, Beeld – To build ^[2]
• Beeld – The shelter for cattle or sheep, etc. – (common on the high moors in Northumberland)
• Beeldy – Sheltered from cold – as "Aa've gettin a beeldy place" ^[2]
• Bees – (Second and third person singular of) To be – as "What bees thoo deein? – What are you doing" or "He bis ne use at aall = He is no use at all" ^[2]
• Beet – To feed a fire with fuel e.g. straw, heath, fern, furze, and especially the husk of oats when used for heating the girdles on which oaten cakes are baked ^[2][5]
• Begox – by God
• Beheend – see Behint
• Behint, Beheend – Behind – (but ahint is commoner) ^[6]
• Belaa, Belaw – Below – or a Mining term = underground in the mine
• Belang – Belong to, hail from -as "War dis thoo belang? Aa belang canny Shields = Where do you come from ? – I come from Shields" ^[3] or "The landlord says, "Is this yor wife, And where de ye belang?" from "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" by Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong
• Belk – To belch ^[2]
• Bellyflapper – a blow on the stomach by landing flat when diving into the water
• Belly-Rim – The lower part of the abdomen – as "He's brust his bellyrim" ^[2]
• Belly-Timmer – Food as ("the kind o' belly-timmer, for myeken pftmen strang = for making pitmen strong" – from The Pitman's Pay, by Thomas Wilson) ^[9]
• Belly-Wark – The stomach-ache ^[2]
• Ben – In, into – as "Come ben the hoose" ^[2]
• Bend-away, Bend-up – A signal in a pit to raise up, or set away ^[2]
• Benk – see Bink – A shelf, of stone ^[2]
• Bennel – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bennel – A long reedy grass, growing on stagnant rivers or burns. Bennels were layers of the reed to serve as a ceiling ^[2]
  • Bennels – Layers of the (Bennel) reed, to serve as a ceiling (archaic) ^[2]
• Bense – A cow stall ^[2]
• Bent – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bent- Made – as "they bent their way hyem"
  • Bent – A coarse kind of grass, usually growing on wet land, or on sand hills upon the sea shore – see also Bents ^[2]
  • Bents – A name for grassy sand dunes near the sea-shore – as "Whitburn Bents" ^[2]
• Beor – Beer
• Berry – (pronounced Barry) – To thresh by flail – as "He's been berryin' aa the day" ^[2]
• Bessy – Character in a company of sword dancers at Christmas, one of the men dressed up in women's clothes – Like The Earsdon Sword Dance ^[10]
• Bet – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bet – bruised by heavy walking
  • Bet Foot – A bruised foot caused by heavy walking ^[6]
• Betimes – Sometimes, at times ^[3]
• Bettener – Superior, better – as "Aa seed him last neet, an thowt he leuked iv a bettermer way" ^[2]
• Beuk, Beyuk – A book
• Beun, Beyen – A word with several meanings
  • Beun, Beyen – A bone ^[2]
  • Beun, Beyun – Above, beyond – as "It's beun ten 'ear sin he left = It's more than ten years since he left" ^[2]
• Beut, Beyut – A boot, to boot
• Beyut – Something additional paid in a trade – as "Aa'll gi yer a pound te beyut = a pound extra"
• Bi – By
• Bid – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bid – to invite or command – usually applied to a funeral or wedding so that a refusal was considered an insult -as "Dee as yer bid = Do what your told"
  • Bidders – Those who went round with the invitations to funerals, weddings, etc.
• Biddy – A louse ^[2]
• Bide – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bide – Stand, as in accept or like – as "Aa canna bide yon chap = I can't stand that man"
  • Bide – Wait -as "Bide heor = Wait here"
• Bigg – Barley – (barley was once sold in Newcastle Bigg Market)
• Biggin – A word with more than one meaning
  • Biggin – A building. Hence the place called Newbiggin-by-the-Sea|Newbiggen
  • Biggin – Mining term (in pits) – a built up pillar of stones
• Bike – A bee's nest ^[2]
• Bile – A boil -as "Me bile's borst = My boil's burst"
• Bill-knife – A knife used by butchers for cracking bones ^[3]
• Billy – A companion – (ye silly billy is a friendly term)
• Bin – Been -as "Hoo bin ye the day = How are you today"
• Bindin' – A term used when keelmen or pitmen contracted to work for a long period, usually a year
• Bing – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bing – A measure for lead equal to eight hundredweights (cwts)
  • Bing – A heap of grain ^[2]
• Bink, Benk – A shelf especially a long flat slab of stone fixed to a wall, used either as a seat or as a shelf ^[2]
• Birk – The birch tree ^[2]
• Birkie – A smart fellow. Usually not an offensive term
• Birsel, Brizzle, Bristle – To crackle in cooking ^[2]
• Bishop – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bishop – To burn food in cooking by allowing it to adhere to the pan ^[2]
  • Bishop – Bishop Auckland
• Bit – (adjective) – Small – "A bit garden =Aa little garden" – never used as "a bit of a —" ^[3]
• Bitch – To spoil some work -as "ye've myed a bitch on't = you have made a mess of it (spoilt it)"
• Bite – A bit, A morsel – "Aa could bite a double tack nail in two = I have a hearty hunger or the old Tynseide saying "Bite the bridle and bear it" when 'lumping' anything disagreeable ^[3]
• Bizen, Bison, Bysen – A show, a spectacle of disgrace ^[2]
• Blaa – A word with several meanings
  • Blaa – To blow – as "blaa the leet oot = blow out the light"
  • Blaa – Breath – as "Get yor blaa"
  • Blaa – Get yor blaa – Rest till your breath comes back
• Blaa oot – a heavy drinking session – (a blow out)
• Blabb – A word with several meanings
  • Blabb – (verb) – To talk incessantly -as "He'll blabber and taak aal neet = hence the term blabber"
  • Blabb – (verb) – To talk loosely, to give away secret ( usually unintentionally)
  • Blabber – see Blabb
• Black and white – A Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United football club supporter (See also TOON ARMY)
• Black Bow-Wowers – Brambleberries ^[2]
• Black Bullets – Sweets – called from the colour and the shape of a ball type bullet.
• Black diamonds – Coal
• Black Middens – Are dangerous rocks near Tynemouth#The Black Middens|Tynemouth pier
• Black pudden – A food made of blood, suet, and herbs stuffed into the intestines of a pig or sheep – a northern dish = black pudding – John Trotter Brockett (1846) tells us, "This savoury and piquant delicacy is a standing dish amon~ the people of the North" ^[11]
• Black-Dam – Carbonic acid gas sometimes encountered in pits
• Black-Jack – see Coalsay – The Pollock|coal-fish ^[2]
• Black-Neb – The carrion crow ^[2]
• Blackclock – Cockroach, black beetle ^[3]
• Blackey, Blacky – the blackbird
• Blae – A word with several meanings
  • Blae – Of a dark colour between black and blue, the colour of the bilberry ^[2]
  • Blae-Berry, Bleeberry – The bilberry or whortleberry ^[2]
• Blair, Blare – Noise – as "the bairns were blain'n' = the children were very noisy"
• Blake – Yellow, of a golden colour – spoken of butter, cheese, etc.^[2]
• Blash – A word with several meanings
  • Blash – Any weak drink – as "Clarty Blash tea – weak tea"
  • Blash – To scatter water of a puddle ^[2]
  • Blash – A downpour of rain ^[2]
• Blashy – Watery, clarty ^[2]
• Blast -An explosion in a pit ^[2]
• Blate – Backward, shy – as "He's nyen blate, noo" ^[2]
• Blather – To talk nonsense – as "He jawed a heap of blather = he talked a load of nonsense"
• Blather skite – One who talks aimlessly
• Blaydon Races – The 'National Anthem' of Tyneside – the song Blaydon Races written by George "Geordie" Ridley
• Blazer – see Bleezer
• Bleb – A blister, a bubble – "It blebs up"
• Bleck – Dirty grease, found on waggon-ways in a pit where rollers are used ^[3]
• Bleeberry – see Blae-Berry – Bilberry ^[3]
• Bleezer – a metal sheet used to blow up a fire by increasing the draught
• Blether – see Blather ^[2]
• Blindy – Blindman's Buff. The usual form is 'Billy-blindy (see Willy Blindy) ^[3]
• Bliss – To bless ^[2]
• Blob – see Bleb – Aa blister, a bubble ^[3]
• Blogged – Blocked – refers to spouts (guttering) and pipes
• Blon – Blown – as "And he's blon the double raw" from Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Blood Alley – A boy's marble with blue or red lines
• Blow Down – Mining term – To bring down coal or stone with gunpowder ^[2]
• Bluey – A hedge sparrow ^[2]
• Blush – Blister – (substantive and verb) – as "Hiz hand's all blushed = His hand is badly blistered"
• Bo-Lo – A term used by nurses to righten children – as "The Bo-lo will get you" ^[2]
• Boak – see Baak – A word with several meanings ^[2]
• Bobberous, Bobbersome – Hearty, elated, in high spirits ^[2] – according to John Trotter Brockett ^[12]
• Body – A person -as "She's a canny aad body = She's a nice person"
• Boggle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Boggle – A ghost or spectre
  • Boggle – To start at, to blunder, or bother about – as "The mare bogled at a haystack" ^[2]
• Bogie – A small low four-wheeled cart often used by children for play
• Boiley – Milk and bread boiled
• Bondager – A female field-worker whom the "hind" had to supply when he contracted to work for a farmer.
• Bone – To interrogate
• Bonfire – see Byen-Fire – A bonfire
• Bonny – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bonny – Good looking, but is usually used like "canny" to describe character as well as looks as "A bonny singer = An accomplished singer" – from the French Bon
  • Bonny Leukin' – Good looking
  • Bonny mess – Used ironically to describe the opposite of bonny
• Boody, Booly, Boudy -A piece of broken pot
• Bool – A word with several meanings
  • Bool – An iron plate attached to the oars of keels and wherries, through this the thole pin (and on which the oar pivots) passes ^[2]
  • Bool – A dish, or bowl
  • Bool – (noun) – A bowl (as used in the game of bowls)
  • Bool – (verb) – To bowl = to play bowls (the game) – or to bowl along as in "Bool your hoop"
  • Boolin' – To go and play the game -as "Gan boolin' = Go bowling"
• Booly – see Boody
• Boose – Now the upper part of the stall where the fodder lies, according to John Trotter Brockett ^[12]
• Booza – see Boozer
• Booze – (verb) – To drink -as "On the booze = On a drinking bout"
• Boozer – An ale house, a place of public drinking, such as a Public house
• Bor – Bar
• Bord – A bird – modern day slang for a girl
• Born – see BOURN – a burn or large stream – as Ouseburn, Newcastle ^[2]
• Boro, The Boro – Middlesbrough (despite not being spelt 'borough'); also Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough Football Club
• Borst – Burst -as "Me bile's borst = My boil's burst"
• Bouly – see Boody
• Bourn – A stream or Burn – an Old English word
• Bowdie – A sherd, or piece of broken earthenware ^[3]
• Bowk – To belch
• Bowl – Stone ball. The game is common in the north among pitmen. The one who throws the longest distance in three throws is declared the winner. The weight of the bool may be 5 ounces, 15 oz., 20 oz., and upwards – like the continental European game of Boules and Pétanque.
• Bowld – Bold
• Bowrie – The ring in which boys place their marbles, whilst playing ^[3]
• Bowt – Bought
• Box bed – A bed made like a bunk or berth ^[2]
• Braaly, Bravely – In fine condition – as "Hoo is thoo the day?. Aa's braaly, lad = I'm fine" ^[2]
• Brack – see Brocken – Past tense of break ^[2]
• Bracken, Brecken – The brake fern, used to be regularly hravested for the bedding of cattle
• Bracken Clock – The small gay-coloured Scarabaeidae|chafer, Phyllopertha horticola, a beetle ^[2]
• Braffen, Briffam, Barfham, Briham, Braugham – Horse-collar ^[3]
• Brag – A goblin – e.g. The Portobello Brag, who lived at Low Fell ^[2]
• Braid – To retch – as "Aa've braided sair all neet, doctor" ^[2]
• Brakeman – The man in charge of the winding engine at a pit ^[2]
• Brambles – Blackberry bushes and their fruit.
• Bran – A boar, a male pig ^[2]
• Bran new – Brand new
• Brand-Irons – The irons for holding up the logs in a wood-fire ^[2]
• Brandling – A river trout caught in the River Tyne|Tyne ^[2]
• Brandlings – Large peas of a brownish yellow spotted colour, quite different from the ordinary grey peas ^[2]
• Branrith – A trivet ^[2]
• Branks – A bridle to gag nagging women especially used in Newcastle. "Tbe branks, a kind of brake is here, Wor faithers when a' else was vain, compelled the noisy jades to weer. Where'er their clappers rain amain." Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson ^[6]
• Brant – Steep, difficult of ascent – as "A brant hill"
• Brash – Melted snow – as "snow brash" ^[2]
• Brashy – Relating to the weather – Meling, as "Brashy wettor = Thawing weather"
• Brass – Money
• Brassy – Pert, lively, forward in manners – as "A brassy little fellow" – With women, possibly brazen ^[2]
• Brat – A word with several meanings
  • Brat – A disagreeable child
  • Brat – Name for a turbot on the Northumberland coast ^[2]
  • Brat – A kind of dual apron, usually made of sheepskin, or coarse sacking, worn by farm men when building corn stacks or when bathing sheep ^[2]
• Brattice – A word with more than one meaning
  • Brattice, Brattish – A wooden boarding or panel fastened at right angles to the door-frame, on the side where the door opens, so as to screen the room from draughts
  • Brattice – Wood or canvas used in mines to help the air to travel ^[3]
• Braugham – see Braffen – horse-collar ^[3]
• Brautins – Girdle cakes with cheese sandwiched between ^[2]
• Bravely – see Braaly – In fine condition ^[2]
• Bray – To beat
• Brazen – Impudent or shameless -as "She's a brazen huzzey"
• Brecken – see Bracken – A fern
• Bree, Breay – The breast of a hill ^[2]
• Breed – A word with more than one meaning
  • Breed – Bread
  • Breed – To spread (of manure) ^[3]
• Breeks – Breeches or trousers – as "A bran new coat, but aad breeks = A new coat but old trousers"
• Brent – Steep pertaining to stairs, ladders, and such-like erections ^[3]
• Brewster – Brewer – from the Brewster sessions where publicans apply for their licenses
• Brickfast Bricewast – Breakfast
• Briffam, Briham – see Braffen – horse-collar ^[3]
• Brim – A sow is said to go to brim when she goes to the boar ^[2]
• Brinkside – River bank – as "It's i' the brinkside = It's in the river bank (a bird's nest for example)" ^[3]
• Brizzle, Bristle – see Birsel – To crackle in cooking ^[2]
• Brock – A word with more than one meaning
  • Brock – The badger
  • Brock – see Brocken
  • Brocken – Broken
• Brockwell – Mining term – The lowest workable seam of any district ^[2]
• Broo – Brow - Forehead ^[2]
• Broon – Brown – or modern slang Newcastle Brown Ale
• Brownie – Brown linnet. Ian the early 1900s local public-houses used to hold singing competitions using these birds ^[3]
• Browt, Brung – (past tense of) Bring, bur more common is Fetch and Fetched
• Browt up – Brought up, or raised -as "He was browt up on keek"
• Brun – To burn ^[2]
• Brung – see Browt – past tense of bring
• Btwixt – see Atwix – Between ^[2]
• Bubble – To weep -as "Give ower bubblin' = Stop crying"
• Bubble Jock – Turkey cock – probably so called from the wattles hanging down his neck ^[6]
• Buck-Stick – The game of 'Spell and Nurr' ^[3]
• Buff – The bare skin, naked
• Bugger – A rough term of affection in the north -as "A canny aad bugger"
• Bull – Mining term – A round bar of iron used in blasting in wet holes ^[2]
• Bullets – Sweets – called from the shape of a ball type bullet, best known were Black Bullets
• Bully – A brother, comrade – the crew of a keel were called bullies
• Bum – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bum – Buttocks
  • Bum – To make a humming or drumming noise like a bee ^[2]
• Bummler – A bee
• Bummler box – A small house
• Bummlerskyte, Bummlekite – The blackberry, the fruit of the bramble ^[2]
• Bums – Bailiffs who distrain – sometimes called a bum bailiff from the practice of touching the debtor on the back ^[6]
• Bunch – To strike, to drive with the knee against the backside ^[2]
• Buntin – The cone of the fir tree ^[2]
• Bunton – A piece of squared timber ^[2]
• Burn – see BOURN – a stream
• Burr – the name given to the strange Northumbrian pronunciation of the 'R' sound
• Bus – A word with more than one meaning
  • Bus – A bush ^[2]
  • Bus – A sunken rock on which at low tides seaweed is visible ^[2]
• Busk, Buss – To get ready, to dress – "Aa'll just busk mesel an' gan "or "Aa'll busk a trout flee" ^[2]
• Buss – A kiss – as "Come gi's a buss"
• Bussin'-the-Tyup – The tyup was the last corf of coals drawn out of the pit on the last day of the year; and by way of showing their pleasure at the gaudy-days now commencing, the pitmen covered it with burning candles ^[2]
• But – A word with several meanings
  • But – A kind of spoken full stop – sentences are often ended with the word – as "she's a canny lass but = she's is a nice girl" – it doesn't imply that there is some unspoken flaw in her character
  • But – An abbreviation of holibut ^[2]
• But and Ben – Outside and inside – refers to two-roomed houses with an outer and inner room
• Butcher – see Doctor – The stickleback, without a red belly ^[3]
• Butts – Strips of land, divisions of a common field ^[2]
• Buzzeems – Besoms or brooms made of twigs – as in the Geordie song "Broom Buzzems" by William Purvis (Blind Willie)
• Buzzems – see Buzzeems
• By – A direction in compounds with other words such as Inby, Ootby, Owerby, Backby, Forby, Upby, Doonby ^[2]
• Byen-Fire, Bonfire – A bonfire used to be held on Midsummer|Midsummer Eve, in many villages in Northumberland, in the 18th century ^[2]
• Byestin' – see Baste – To thrash
• Byeth – Both
• Byeuk – Book – see BEUK
• Byeut – Boot – as "A byeut i' the hintend = A kick in the backside"
• Byuets – plural of Byuet
• Byun – see – Abeyun, Abyun – above ^[2]

• Ca' – see Caa
• Caa – A word with several meanings
  • Caa – To drive – as in the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie through the Watter" – from the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie through the watter" ^[13]
  • Caa' – Call
• Caa Oot – Call out
• Caa-handed – Left-handed ^[2]
• Caad – Cold – as "It's as caad as ice"
• Caal – see Call
• Caal of the Sea – Movement of water driven by the wind on its surface (the opposite is keld, smooth like the Tyne) ^[2]
• Caller – A word with more than one meaning
  • Caaler – see also Caller – fresh
  • Caaler – An official at a colliery engaged to call up the men for work. "He makes his first round at half-past 12 a.m., and knocks at all the doors with “D” chalked on them. These are the deputies' houses; they go to work an hour before the hewers. Every man of the fore-shift marks 1 on his door – that is the sign for the caller to wake him at that hour. The hewer fills his tubs, and continues alternately hewing and filling. Meanwhile, the caller having roused the putters, drivers, and off-handed man, the pit 'hings on', that is, starts work at 5 o'clock." (Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson) ^[7] (see also Caaling-Course – (see also the song "The Caller (folk song)|The Caller" by Edward Corvan|Edward 'Ned' Corvan)
  • Caaling-Course – The route used by the (miner's) Caaler ^[3]
• Cabbish – Cabbage ^[2]
• Cable, Cavel – see Cavil – A strip or share of land apportioned by lot
• Cadge – To beg
• Cadger – Onginally one who went from house to house buying and selling butter, eggs, corn and other farm produce. Nowadays anyone who "borrows"
• Caff – Chaff, the husk of oats ^[3]
• Cage – The lift which goes up and down in the shaft of a mine.
• Cairn – A pile of stones over a grave or on a mountain top
• Cairt – A cart as "If aa had a horse Ad wad hev a cairt" from the Geordie song "Broom Buzzems" by William Purvis (Blind Willie)
• Cake – see Cyak
• Cake-Creel – see Cyak-Creel
• Cakhoose – A latrine
• Cakky – Animal or human waste
• Calf-Yard – The home of one's youth (Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson) ^[2]
• Call – Name, named – as "What do they call you? = What's your name?" or "Please, sir, he called me = Plerase sir, he called me a nasty name"
• Callant – Boy, or girl ^[3]
• Caller – Fresh
• Caller Harrin – Fresh herring – a local street call no longer heard.^[6]
• Calling-Course – see Caaling-Course
• Cam – A word with several meanings
  • Cam – Came
  • Cam - Rising-ground – as "Tak' some o' that cam off" = reduce the uneven level of the ground
  • Cam, Kame – An earthen dyke ^[2]
• Campin, Kempin – The race in which one reaper strove to finish his rig first (The practice was ended in the 1870s) ^[2]
• Camstary, Camsteery – Wild, unmanageable ^[2]
• Can, Could – Can be used in a peculiar sense with a verb to mean "To be not able" – examples are "I doubt I'll not can get = I expect I shan't be able to come" – or "They'll not can get any fud = not be able to get any food" – or "I haven't could get across the doors = I've not been able to get out" ^[14]
• Canch – A rise like a step. In a thin seam of coal (coal and stone (i.e. canch) are worked away alternately) ^[2]
• Candle-Sieve – A rushlight ^[2]
• Candyman – A bum bailiff. The man who serves notice of ejectment. The word is almost always used as a term of abuse or contempt. The reason for this is the way these men were regularly used during mining strikes. Pitmen lived in "tied" houses and if they went on strike the coal owners usually evicted them. To do so many bailiffs were needed. They were recruited from the scum of the towns and many street vendors were among those so employed. Some of the street traders sold sticks of candy, their street cry being Dandy-candy, three sticks a penny. So all bum bailiffs were contemptuously described as Candymen ^[6]
• Canna – Can't
• Canny – A word with several meanings
  • Canny – Well or very fine
  • Canny – Careful -as "Aa'd better gan canny – I had better be careful"
  • Canny – Gentle – as a child is told to "Be canny" with a delicate item such as a jug
  • Canny – A length of time – as "It'll tak' a canny bit = It will take some time"
  • Canny – A term of endearment – as "Ma canny hinny"
  • Canny few – A fair number, quite a few
  • Canny little body – A dapper little person, with some notion of briskness and neatness
  • Canny man – One with some sense in his head
  • Canny nanny – see Nanny – The stingerless Bumble Bee ^[2]
  • Canny Seam – A good job. From the term used in the mining industry a canny seam meant a good band of coal.
  • Canny Toon – Newcastle – described as "wor canny toon" in Stephen Oliver (Jr)|Stephen Oliver's "Rambles in Northumberland" from 1835
• Cant – A word with several meanings
  • Cant – An angle greater than a right angle
  • Cant – (verb) – To set on edge
  • Canted – (verb) – Fell – "It canted ower = It fell over"
• Cantrip, Cantrap – Spell, charm, trick ^[2]
• Canty – Pleasant, lively – as in the song – "my canny keel laddie. so hansum se canty and free"
• Cap – A word with several meanings
  • Cap – To surpass
  • Cap – A piece of leather put on a shoe.
• Cappy – A boy's game
• Card – see Caud – Cold
• Carlin – A familiar term for a woman ^[2]
• Carling Sunday – The second Sunday before Easter and traditionally carlings are served on that day. An urban myth abounds that it started when a famine in Newcastle was relieved when a ship loaded with a cargo of grey peas arrived on that day
• Carlings – Choice grey-peas, also known in other regions as Black peas or Pigeon Peas.
• Carr – A rocky place
• Cas – Because ^[2]
• Casket, Caskit – Cabbage-stalk ^[3]
• Cassen – see Awelt – A sheep when cast upon its back and unable to rise
• Cast – To cast up, throw up, shovel up – as "To cast snow" ^[2]
• Cast up – To remind reproachfully – as "If aa was to de see, ye wad cast it up to me fyece = If I was to do so you would throw it back in my face" ^[2]
• Caster – A shoveller or caster of coal from a keel to a ship ^[2]
• Cat – A word with several meanings
  • Cat – A ball made by mixing coal and clay together
  • Cat – A swing – as "Let the cat dee = let the swing (see Shuggy) run down of itself"
• Cat-Band – Iron band for securing the cover of a hatch in a keel ^[2]
• Cat-Band – Iron band on a Corf (qv) to take a hook ^[2]
• Cat-Built – Applied to an old style of shipbuilding, which is described as being on the Norwegian model (i.e. narrow stern, much tumble in, but ended ca. 1850) ^[2]
• Cat-Choup – A hip – e.g. wild rosehip ^[2]
• Cat-Haa, Cat-Haws – Hawthorn-berries – often fired by boys through a hollow hemlock-stalk used like a pea-shooter.
• Cat-Heed – An ironstone nodule ^[2]
• Cat-Knockers – The peculiar way some boys hold their marbles when shooting ^[3]
• Cat-Whin – Burnet gorse ^[2]
• Caud, Card – Cold – as "The limmer thieves o' Liddesdale, Wad na leave a kye in the hail countrie: But an we gie them the caud steel, Our gear they'll reive it a' awaye." from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
• Causey – A causeway
• Cavil, Cable, Cavel – A distribution by lot – word used by pitmen to describe the system whereby they drew lots to decide their work places in the pit -as "I've gotten a canny cavil for this quarter"
• Cawel – A hen-coop ^[2]
• Chaak – Chalk.
• Chack – A slight refreshment, taken in haste ^[2]
• Chaffs, Chafts – Jawbones (plural only) ^[3]
• Champion – First class
• Chancetimes – Occasionally – used to be a very common expression ^[3]
• Chap – Man, any male person
• Chare – A narrow lane. At one point, there were 20 chares in Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle but many were destroyed and disappeared in the Great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead in 1854.
• Chats – A word with more than one meaning
  • Chats – Keys of trees as ash trees, Acer pseudoplatanus|sycamore trees ^[2]
  • Chats – (In lead-mining) Small pieces of stone with lead ore adhering to them (i.e. imperfectly separated ore) ^[2]
• Check-Viewer – One who checks the working of coal on behalf of the owner of the royalty
• Check-Weighman – A representative of the colliers who checks the weight of coal at the surface on behalf of his men
• Cheese – To set the cheese on the table upside down was once considered a mark of disrespect. There is a famous Border tongue twister. – "The folk of Chatton say the cheese of Chatton is better than the cheese of Chillingham but the cheese of Chatton's nee mair like the cheese of Chillingham than chalk's like cheese" ^[6]
• Cheesae and bread – The young leaves of the hawthorn eaten by children under this name ^[3]
• Chemmerly – From 'chamber lye' - Urine kept in a large stone bottle and used for removing stains when washing clothes ^[3]
• Cheor – A popular salutation -as "What cheor? = hello"
• Chep – Chap -as "Canny aad chep = Nice old person" and as "A chep, they call'd him Scott, he liev'd on the banks o' Tyne" from The Newcassel Worthies by William “Willie” Armstrong
• Chepil – Chapel -as "Thor wis a vast o' folk i' the chepil = There were lots of people at the Chapel"
• Chester – One of the Roman camps along Hadrian's Wall- There are twenty six place names in Northumberland combined with this word. Elsewhere the word is usually caster or cester ^[6]
• Chew or Tew – A hard and laboured effort – see Tew
• Chiel – Child, fellow, lad – Middle English
• Chimins – The seeds or inner husks of oats, soaked 2 or 3 days in cold water to become a jelly, and then boiled in water or milk ^[2]
• Chimla, Chimley – Chimney
• Chimley neuk – Chimney corner.
• Chine – Chain – (Scotswood Bridge|Scotswood suspension bridge was called the Chine Bridge)
• Chink – Money
• Chinnerly – To separate the larger pieces of coal from the dust ^[3]
• Chips – A fish 'chips' when it cuts the surface of the water without leaping (e.g. a salmon) ^[2]
• Chisel – A kind of bran with which children feed rabbits ^[3]
• Chitter-Chatter – Idle prattle
• Chiv – Knife – (plural is Chiva)
• Chiva – Plural of Chiv, a knife
• Chives – Wild onion found on Hadrian's Wall|Roman Wall
• Chock – A word with more than one meaning
  • Chock – A piece of wood for stopping waggons at the top of a bank
  • Chock – Mining term – A square pillar for supporting the roof of a pit, built up of short lengths of wood ^[2]
• Choke-Damp – see – After-Damp – the result of an explosion of fire-damp down the mine
• Choller – A double chin
• Chop – Sudden retrograde movement – as "The wind chopped round to the nor'rard = The wind suddenly turned to the north" ^[2]
• Chor – To steal
• Chorch – Church
• Chort – To squirt with the teeth ^[2]
• Chow – To chew
• Chowk – To choke -as "Bring me a drink – aa's fit te chowk"
• Chuck – Food, usually bread
• Chucks – A game played by children with pebbles called chuckie stones
• Chucky – A young fowl ^[3]
• Chunter – To grumble -as "She's alwes chunteren on, nivvor content wi nowt = She's always complaining, she's never content with anything" – a local saying
• Chyen – Chain
• Cist – see Kist – a box or chest
• Claa – A claw.
• Claes – A word with more than one meaning
  • Claes – Clothes – Old English
  • Claes-line – A line (of cord, twine etc.) on which to hang clothesto enable them to dry
  • Claes-prop – Used to hold up the washing line – as "Soo he's gone ta fetch a claes prop" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
  • Claes-stick – A short stick to thrust clothes down when boiling in the pan
  • Claes-swill – A basket made of peeled willows, used for holding clothes on washing-days ^[3]
• Clag – To stick
• Claggum – Toffee made with treacle.
• Claggy – Sticky -as "Claggy taffy = Sticky toffee"
• Clairts – Fouled sheep's wool ^[2]
• Clam – To castrate by compression ^[2]
• Clammer – Climb – as "Aa've clammered up them stairs to the Garth – I've climbed up those stairs to the Garth" ^[2]
• Clamming – Hungry, thirsty – Usually used in the expression "I'm clamming for a drink = I'm thirsty"
• Clap – To stroke, pat, of animals – "If you clapped them, they will be kind with you = If you stroke them they will be friendly 'with' (meaning to) you" ^[3]
• Clantin' on – Messing about
• Clarts – Dirt or mud
• Clarty – Dirty, more correctly muddy
• Clarty Blash Tea – Weak tea
• Clarty Faw – A term of abuse – see FAW -as "Get oot, ye clarty Faa = Get out you dirty slut"
• Clash – To strike or close violently -as "Divvin' clash the door = Do not slam the door"
• Clatter – A noise.
• Clay – A pitman's candlestick, made of a piece of clay ^[2]
• Claze, Cleze – see Claes – clothes (also Claze-prop, Claze-line, Claze-stick, Claze-swill)
• Cleed – To clothe ^[2]
• Cleg – A Gadfly
• Cletchin' – Brood of chickens ^[3]
• Cleugh – (pronounced cluff) – A small narrow valley – Explained by Stephen Oliver (Jr)|Stephen Oliver in his 1835 "Rambles in Northumberland" – "Whereas a hope is the head of a vale, a cleugh is a sort of diminitive hope, where the vale is narrowed by opposite craigs"
• Clever – see Clivvor
• Click – A word with more than one meaning
  • Click – A tear – as "A greet click iv hor frock = A big tear in her dress"
  • Click – To snatch – "He clicked it oot o' me hand = He took it out of my hand" – or "She was click'd away very sharp = she died suddenly"
• Click-Clash, Clish-Clash – Idle talk – as "There's been a lot o' clish-clash about it = There has been a lot of idle talk about it" ^[3]
• Clip – A word with more than one meaning
  • Clip – To strike -as "Aa'll clip yor lug = I will strike your ear"
  • Clip – To shear (a sheep)
• Clish-Clash – see Click-Clash
• Clivvor – A word with more than one meaning
  • Clivvor – Clever -as "Aa-warnd ye think yorsel' clivvor? =. I suppose you think yourself clever?"
  • Clivvor – In good health – as "How are ye the day lad? Man, aa's clivvor"
• Clobber – Clothes.
• Clock – Any large beetle – as "Killin clock wi' clubs = Killing beetles with clubs (i.e. overdoing it)" ^[2]
• Clocker – A word with more than one meaning
  • Clocker – see Clock ^[2]
  • Clocker – A sitting hen – as "What are ye sittin clockin' theor at? – Why are you sitting for such a long time?"
• Clod – A penny (Coin)
• Clog – A word with several meanings
  • Clog – A shoe with a wooden sole – once very common on Tyneside – (There were several clog shops in Castle Garth Stairs in the 1930s)
  • Clog – A log – see also Yule-Clog^[3]
  • Clog – Mining term – A sledge loaded with stones and dragged round by the gin, to which it acts as a brake ^[2]
• Clood – Cloud
• Cloot – A word with several meanings
  • Cloot – A cloth – as "A dish cloot = A dishcloth"
  • Cloot – To clout
  • Cloot – To patch, mend – as "Cloot the tin pan" ^[2] or as "my pit claes -- dist thou hear? Are waurse o' wear; Mind cloot them weel, when aw's away" from Bob Cranky's Adieu by John “Jack” Shield
  • Clootie Baal – A ball made with rags and used by children as a football – (see also Baal)
  • Clootie Mat – A ball made with rags
• Clooty – The Devil ^[2]
• Clooty Hat – A bonnet for field work ^[2]
• Close – A small enclosure or narrow street
• Close bed – bunk or box bed ^[2]
• Closer – A fire brick ^[2]
• Clot – A stupid fellow.
• Cloud, Cloued – To dent – as "He got a cloued heed" ^[2]
• Cloud-Berry, Knot-Berry, Knout-Berry, Noops – The ground mulberry; also noops, knot-berry, knout-berry ^[2]
• Clout – A word with more than one meaning
  • Clout – A cloth – as "Dish-clout = Dishcloth"
  • Clout – To strike – as "Aa'll cloot yor jaw"
• Cuckweed – Chickweed
• Cluff – To cuff – as "'Aa'll cluff yor jaw for ye"
• Cluther – To crowd closely – as "The folks wiz aal cluthered aboot the door = The people were crowded around the door" ^[2]
• Coald-Hood – The reed bunting ^[2]
• Coalsay, Colesay, Black Jack, Rock Salmon, Poodle – The coal-fish – The Poodle when young
• Cob – A loaf of bread.
• Cobby – Brick, hearty, in good spirits ^[2]
• Coble – The north-east fishing boat – The coble was deckless, flat bottomed and square at the stern ^[16]
• Cocked – Drunk
• Cockens – The field poppy ^[2]
• Cock-Eyed – Squint eyed – or not straight
• Cockle – Spit
• Cocktail – Warm ale with ginger – as – "at ivery yellhoose i' this toon we had a cocktail pot" from The Pitman’s Happy Times by Joseph Philip Robson|Joseph Philip (J.P.) Robson, "Bard of the Tyne and Minstel of the Wear"
• Cod – A word with several meanings
  • Cod – To lie, to pretend, to kid -as "Whe are ye coddin? = Who are you kidding?"
  • Cod – A pillow ^[2]
  • Cod – The bearing of an axle ^[2]
• Codger – see Cadger
• Codjybell – The earwig ^[2]
• Coffin Kist – A hearse – see Kist
• Cog – A lift, a thrust on the backside – as "Gi's a cog up, will ye? = Please give me a hand to get up" ^[2]
• Coggly – Unsteady -as "It wis se coggly at aa nearly tummeled off = it was so unsteady, that I nearly fell off"
• Coin – Turn -as "coin oot o' the way = turn aside"
• Cold-Lord – A boiled pudding made of oatmeal and suet
• Colesay – see Coalsay ^[2]
• Colley – A word with more than one meaning
  • Colley – A lamplighter. The trade and name now obsolete – The Newcastle street song says "Colley wiv a lamp, Colley wiv a leet, Colley wiv a little dog barkin at his feet" ^[6]
  • Colley – Butcher's meat – but not bacon or salted meat ^[2]
• Collier – A word with more than one meaning
  • Collier – A pitman. One of the oldest terms in the coal trade but for a century rarely used locally
  • Collier – A sea-going vessel carrying coals
• Come and Gan – A good store of things – as "Thor's plenty to come an gan on"
• Come bye – Get out of the way
• Come thee ways – Come forward – a friendly expression.
• Comforter – see Muffler – A scarf
• Comin-on – It's raining
• Common as Clarts – A derogatory expression meaning ill bred
• Commony, Muggy – A boy's marble made of baked clay ^[2]
• Conk – The nose
• Conkers – Horse Chestnuts and the name of the game played with them
• Consart – Concert
• Coo – A word with several meanings
  • Coo – Cow
  • Coo – Cow, derogatory name for an immoral woman
  • Coo – A long iron rod fastened to the last 'tub' of a 'set,' so that in case the rope breaks, the rod sticks in the ground and holds the tub fast. Wagon|Dray-carts and others have such rods dangling at the axle-tree to take the strain off horses when going down a hill ^[3]
• Coo-Git – Right of pasturage for one cow on common land ^[2]
• Coo-pad – Left-handed ^[2]
• Cooch – Couch
• Cooth – Pleasant, comfortable – as "'Aa's cooth"
• Cop – To catch – as "He copt a butterfly = He caught a butterfly" ^[2]
• Copple – A word with more than one meaning
  • Copple – To turn over
  • Copple – A somersault – as "Copple your creels = A somersault" ^[6]
• Corby Craa – The carrion crow ^[2]
• Corf – Basket once used for taking coal from pits – used to be made of pined hazel rods
• Corker – A smart reply
• Corn Barries – Red or white currants ^[2]
• Corn Doll, Kern Doll, Mell Doll – An image made by dressing up a sheaf of corn to appear like a rude human figure, which is mounted on the top of the last cart-load taken from the field ^[2]
• Corporation – The stomach
• Cos – Because
• Cotterils – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cotterils – A split pin
  • Cotterils – Money
• Coul, Cowl – To scrape together dung, mud, dirt, etc.^[2]
• Coup – A word with more than one meaning
  • Coup – The common dung-cart or coal-cart
  • Coup – To upset, to barter ^[2]
• Cow – see Kow – A local sprite ^[2]
• Cow Grass – Common purple clover ^[2]
• Cowl – see Coul ^[2]
• Cowp – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cowp – To upset – as "While hundreds stood by iaikin', Amang the rest aw cowp'd me creels" from Jemmy Joneson’s Whurry by Thomas Thompson Tyneside singer|Thomas Thompson
  • Cowp – A somersault – as "Cowp your creels = A somersault" ^[6])
• Cowt – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cowt – A colt
  • Cowt – A man of strength
• Cowtale – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cowtale – The allowance given to a blacksmith when a horse is first shod
  • Cowtale – A stupid fellow
• Craa – A word with more than one meaning
  • Craa – A crow or rook – as "Black as a craa = dirty"
  • Craa, Craw – An outcrop or crop of strata ^[2]
  • Craa Coal – Mined from an outcop
• Craadon, Crawdon – A coward – as "Ye're a crawdon" ^[2]
• Crabby – Bad-tempered -as "He's a crabby aad chep"
• Crack – Gossip – as "To hev a bft crack = To gossip" – from Durtch Kraaken
• Cracker – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cracker – A half-wit
  • Cracker – A firework
• Cracket – A low stool
• Cradle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cradle – A pig's ladder ^[3]
  • Cradle – Scaffolding in a shaft ^[3]
• Craigs – Necks – as "I wd the deil had had their craigs, And a'things in a bleeze o'fire" from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
• Crake – The crier's rattle used when a meeting of miners is "cried" through the street, is called his 'crake' – The likeness between this sound and the cry of the corn-crake is obvious ^[3]
• Crame – A word with more than one meaning
  • Crame – A stall or stand at country fairs easily taken to pieces
  • Crame – To mend, by holing and wiring
• Cranch, Scranch, Scunch – Crackle, to crunch, to grind the teeth ^[2]
• Crane – The junction between the branch railways and the horse roads in a pit, the coals being 'put' to this spot by the barrow-men from the working places. From the crane they were drawn by horses to the shaft. It is now called a 'flat' or 'station'^[2]
• Crankey – Checked or of a zig-zag pattern ^[2]
• Cranky – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cranky – An old term for pitmen. The word was probably derived from the checked pattern favoured by colliers. A cranky neckcloth. "'A pat on my blue coat that shines se, My jacket wi' posies se fine see, My sark sic sma' threed, man, My pig-tail se greet, man, Od smash! what a buck was Bob Cranky. Blue stockings, white clocks, and reed garters, Yellow breeks, and my shoon wi' lang quarters, A' myed wour bairns cry, EhI sartiesl nil nil When they saw the smart, clever Bob Cranky." from Bob Cranky's 'Size (short for Assize) Sunday by John Selkirk, 1804. Howky was another name used for a pitman. But early in the 19th century both terms were replaced by the word Geordie ^[6])
  • Cranky – Tottering – as "'Aa's nobbut cranky-like thi day – I'm a bit dothery today" ^[2]
• Craw – see Craa ^[2]
• Crawdon – see Craadon^[2]
• Cray – see Cree
• Creddle – A cradle, child's bed
• Cree – A small hut or pen (as a Chicken cree, pig's cree, pigeon-cree, etc.)
• Creel – A word with more than one meaning
  • Creel – A basket of wickerwork carried on the back and used to carry hay to sheep in bad weather
  • Creel – A similar basket of wickerwork used to carry fish – The "Cullercoats Fishwife’s Back Creel" is a basket of distinctive shape
• Creeps – Dislike or horror – as "It gives me the creeps"
• Creeve, Creuve – A crab or lobster trap – "Crab-creeves = Pots for crabs" ^[2]
• Cribble – To curry favour – as "Aa's not gan to crible tiv him"
• Crine – To shrink or shrivel up ^[2]
• Crit – The smallest of a litter, etc. – as "Tom's the crit i' the family = Tom's the smallest in our family" ^[2]
• Croak – To die
• Croft – A small enclosure
• Croggy – to give a passenger a ride on the crossbar or back of a bicycle
• Crood – A crowd – as "the hoose is crooded oot"
• Croon – A word with more than one meaning
  • Croon – Crown
  • Croon – Crown – as "Len's haaf a croon = Please may I borrow Half crown (British coin)|half a crown (Two shillings (British coin)|two shillings and Sixpence (British coin)|sixpence in pre-decimal money)"
• Croopy – Hoarse ^[2]
• Croose, Crouse – Brisk, lively, eager ^[2]
• Croot – To sprout, to recover – as "'She'll syun croot oot agyen = It will soon recover" ^[2]
• Crop – To cut the hair -as "What a crop he's gien ye"
• Croppen – Crept (past participle) – as "We'd just croppen into bed agyen" ^[2]
• Cross timmer – The cross beams of a building – see Timmer
• Crotly, Crutley – Crumbly ^[2]
• Crouse – see Croose ^[2]
• Crowdy – Oatmeal and boiling water stirred together. An old Northumbrian dish. It is served with butter, dripping or milk. (The crowdy is wor daily dish, But varry different is their minny's, For she gets a' her heart can wish, In strang-lyac'd tea and singin' hinnies. – from The Pitman's Pay, by Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson) ^[9]
• Crowley's Crew – Men employed at the historic ironworks of Crowley and Co. at Swalwell and Winlaton. They were proud craftsmen. They could make anything "ftev a needle tiv an anchor". They were also political radicals ^[6]) – also see the local song, the Swalwell Hopping by John Selkirk
• Crown – see Croon
• Cruck – Bend – as "Cruck yor hough = sit down – bend the back of the knee" or "Cruck-yor-thumb = (with thumb doubled up inside clenched fist) a charm against witchcraft"
• Cruppy Dow – A cake made of oatmeal and fish ^[2]
• Crutley – see Crotly ^[2]
• Cuddle – An embrace – as "So then with a kiss and a cuddle these lovers they bent their way hyem." – from The Pitman’s Courtship by William Mitford, singer-songwriter|William Mitford of North Shields.
• Cuddy – A word with more than one meaning
  • Cuddy – A donkey or a small horse
  • Cuddy – Abbreviation of (St) Cuthbert ^[6]
• Cuddy Handed, Cuddywifter – Left handed
• Cuddy-an-Creels – A donkey with panniers
• Cuddy's legs – Herrings – peculiar to the Newcastle Fish Market
• Cull – A stupid fellow
• Cullacowats – Cullercoats, originally a small bay and village named Caller Coates where a jetty for the transport of coal was erected in 1677 ^[2][17]
• Cundy or Koondy – A sewer
• Curranbarries – Red currants ^[2]
• Cush, Cush Haa, Cush Huop, etc. – A call to cows at milking-time.
• Cushat – Old name for the ringdove or pigeon
• Cushy-Coo-Lady – The lady-bird ^[2]
• Cut – Excavation through a hill
• Cuthbert's Beads – Bits of fosil encrinites found on the beaches of Lindisfarne|Holy Island – named after Cuthbert|St. Cuthbert ^[6])
• Cutty – Short
• Cutty Gun – Slang for a short pipe
• Cutty Sark – A short shirt
• Cutty Soams – Pit ghost, sometimes good, sometimes mischievous ^[2]
• Cyak or Cyek – Cake
• Cyak-Creel – A rack at the top of a kitchen to dry oat cakes (according to John Trotter Brockett, 3rd edn, 1846) ^[11]
• Cyam – Came
• Cyek – see Cyak
• Cyuk – Cook -as "Wor lass canna cyuk = My wife can't cook"

• Da – Dad – father
• Dab – Skilful -as "He's a dab-hand at it"
• Dad- A blow – as "He got sic a dad as he'Il not forget = He got such a smack, that he'll not forget it"
• Daffle – To be doting, to be forgetful ^[2]
• Daft – Silly, a common word on Tyneside and in the rest of the country. "Thou 'II drive me daft" ^[6]
• Dafty – (noun) – A fool. "Ye'll hit somebody, ye dafty = you will hit someone, you silly person" ^[6])
• Dag – To rain, to drizzle – as "It's daggin on" or "It's daggin weather" ^[2]
• Dagger money – A custom peculiar to Newcastle. This is a gold coin paid to the Assize Judges when they came from Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle. The road was considered so dangerous that the money was paid to provide an armed escort. The custom is still carried on ^[6])
• Daggy, Daggly – Wet, drizzly – as "It's varry daggy thi' day" ^[2]
• Dalbert – see Dulbert – A dullard
• Dale – A word with more than one meaning
  • Dale – see Dyel – To divide
  • Dale – see Dyel – A deal board
• Dall – To tire – as "It's a varry dallin job" ^[2]
• Damp – A dangerous gas found in coal mines etc.
• Dang – To strike violently – as "Deevil dang ye"
• Darg, Dorg – A day's work
• Dark – To eavesdrop (obsolete) ^[2]
• Darn – Dark
• Darn Crook – A crooked and dark street
• Darrak – A piece of work – similar to Darg ^[2]
• Dash – A drink made from a mixture of beer and lemonade
• Datal man- A man employed by the day
• Datalling – Odd jobbing ^[6]
• Daver – To stun with a blow, to stupefy – as "He bat him sic a yark alang the jaa, 'at it daver't him" or "A davered aad man" ^[2]
• Daw, Dow -To thrive (obsolete) ^[2]
• Dawd – Slice – as "Cut him a dawd o' breed – Cut him a slice of bread" ^[3]
• Daytime man – A man employed by the day ^[2]
• De – Do – before a vowel becomes div – the negative is divvint
• Deal – see Dyel – To divide
• Dear knaas – I do not know -as "Dear knaas what aa's gan te dee?"
• Deas, Deis – A stone bench at the door of a cottage, sometimes sovered with sods ^[2]
• Deave – To deafen, to stupefy with noise ^[2]
• Deazil – A walk round by the sun (i.e. not widershins) ^[2]
• Dede – see Deed – dead
• Dee – A word with more than one meaning
  • Dee – Do
  • Dee – To die
• Dee'd – To do or done
• Deed – Dead or died -as "Deed an' gyen = Dead and gone"
• Deed-Hoose – The mortuary.
• Deed Knock – A supposed warning of death, a mysterious knock (from "A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words, Obsolete Phrases, Proverbs" by James Halliwell-Phillipps|James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps) ^[2]
• Deef – Deaf
• Deek – Look -as "Hoo man, deek at this = Hey, look at this"
• Deel, De'il, Deevil, Divil – The devil – used in oaths as "Deil tyek ye = The devil take you" and as "I wd the deil had had their craigs, And a'things in a bleeze o'fire" from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
• Deet – see Dight – To make ready ^[2]
• Dein – Doing -as "What are ye dein = What are you doing?"
• Deis – see Deas – A stone bench ^[2]
• Delfs – Small pits
• Demean – To lower oneself – as "A waddent demean meselto de sic a thing – I wouldn't lower myself to do such a thing" ^[6])
• Dene – A valley through which a burn flows – there were once a number of burns (now sewers) in Newcastle. (Dean Street receives its name from the Lort burn) ^[6]
• Deppity – Deputy – the man in charge of a section of a mine
• Deputy's Kist – The chest used by the deputy in a coal pit – see Kist
• Desorve – Deserve
• Deun – Done
• Dhael – A funeral (obsolete) ^[2]
• Dickeyhedgie – The 'hedge-sparrow' (accentor modularis) ^[3]
• Dickises – Something that another cannot do – "A'll dee (do) the dickises = I'll do something that another cannot do" ^[3]
• Dicky Bird – A term of endearment for a small bird
• Di'd – Do it – as "Aa didn' di' d, did aa? – I didn’t do it, did I" ^[2]
• Dight, Deet, Dite – To make ready, prepare – as "Stop till aa dite me hands = Wait while I prepare (wash) my hands" (obsolete) ^[2]
• Dike – A word with more than one meaning
  • Dike – A fault in a stratum
  • Dike, Dyke – Usually a ditch, but also a fence, hedge, earthen and/or stone wall – "When I was young and lusty, I could loup a dyke; But now at five and sixty, Cannot do the like. Sair fail'd hinny, Sair fail'd now, Sair fail'd hinny, Sin' I kend thou." from Auld Man tae the Oak Tree, a traditional Geordie song, author unknown – Old English
• Diller – Unwilling – as "A diller, a dollar, a ten o'clock scholar"
• Dilly – A small public carriage – see also Wylam Dilly
• Ding – A word with more than one meaning
  • Ding – To strike – to knock violently
  • Ding – To strike, bang, knock with violence, esp. ding-down, ding-ower – as "Stand oot o' the road or aa'll ding ye ower" ^[2]
• Dinna see Divvent
• Dinnet see Divvent – Do not – as "keep yor feet still, Geordey lad, An' dinnet send maw bonny dreams away" from Keep yor feet still Geordie hinny by Joe Wilson (Geordie singer)|Joe Wilson
• Dirdum, Durdum – Noise and excitement, a confusion ^[2]
• Dirt-Bird – Skua gull (obsolete) ^[2]
• Dirty – Relating to the weather = Wet weather – like a dirty night, or a rainy night.
• Dis – see Dost – does
• Disn't – Does not -as "He disn't knaa owt = He doesn't know anything"
• Dite – see Dight – To make ready ^[2]
• Dithery-Dothery – The grass, Briza media ^[2]
• Div – Do -as "Div aa knaa him? = Do I know him?" – before a consonant becomes DE
• Divaa – Do I, or I do – as "D'ye hear us?" – "Aye, divaa" = "Do you hear us, yes I do" ^[2]
• Divart –Divert - To amuse
• Divil – see Deel – Devil
• Divvent, Dinna, Dinnet – Do not -as "Divvent dee that = Don't do that"
• Divvin' – Do not, don't -as "Aa divvin'knaa – I do not know"
• Docken – The plant Rumex obtusifolius – as "Nettle oot, docken in" ^[2]
• Doctor or Butcher – The stickleback, without a red belly ^[3]
• Dodd – A word with more than one meaning
  • Dodd – A truncated hill – the opposite is Pike, a pointed hill
  • Dodd or Tod – A fox (Heslop wrote – "This is the family name of one of the old 'grains' of North Tynedale, who have been located here from Saxon times. Reginald of Durham, writing about A.D. 1150 gives the history of their progenitor, one Eilaf, who with his companions bore the body of Cuthbert|St. Cuthbert in the flight from Lindisfarne. Being changed into the shape of a fox his fellow monks prayed to God and Cuthbert|St. Cuthbert to restore him to his human shape. And from that day all the race of Eilaf bore the name of Tod (Dodd), which, in the mother tongue, signifies a fox. – Edward Charlton (historian)|Dr. Edward Charlton MD, North Tynedale and its Four Surnames") ^[6])
• Dog – A Bottle of Dog – (Newcastle Brown Ale)
• Dog-Loup – A narrow strip of ground between two houses only wide enough for a dog to pass. See Stairs
• Doggie – A nickname for the village of West Cornforth in Co. Durham
• Dole – see Dyel – To divide
• Dollup – A large piece
• Donnat, Donnit, Donnert – A wild purposeless, wanton one – as "Dow naught = Do nothing" ^[2]
• Donsie – Unlucky
• Dook – A word with more than one meaning
  • Dook – A bath
  • Dook – To duck -as "Dook yor heed = Duck your head"
• Doon – Down – as "Doon the double raw" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Doon-by, Doon-bye – Down there -as "Aa's gaan doon-bye = I'm going down there"
• Doors – Threshold – as "I haven't been across the doors = I haven't been out of doors (across the threshold)" – note the plural
• Doorstaingels – Door-frames (NOTE the 'g' soft, as in 'angel ')
• Doorstead – Threshold
• Doose, Douse – Comely, comfortable ^[2]
• Doot – Doubt
• Doozened – A word with more than one meaning
  • Doozened – With spirit or energy ^[2]
  • Doozened – Dazed ^[2]
• Dor – see Door
• Dorch – see Duergar – A goblin race
• Dorg – see Dorg – a day's work ^[2]
• Dorham – Durham – In Dorham often means in prison – Durham (HM Prison)|Durham Jail.
• Dorsn't – Dare not -as "Folks dorsent say owt tiv him = People dare not say anything to him"
• Dorty – Dirty – as "And Nan, poor sowl, like a dorty hoose cat, Was tummelled oot-side o'the door" from "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" by Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong
• Dost, Dis – Does – "He diz nowt aall day = He does nothing all day"
• Dother – To shake
• Dotherin' Ducks – The quaking grass ^[3]
• Dothery – Shaky
• Dottle or Dozzle – The tobacco left at the bottom of a pipe after smoking
• Double Neif – The clenched fist – see also Neif = hand ^[3]
• Double Raa – A double row of terrace houses with a gutter (or drainage) running down the middle of the path/roadway at the back and between the two – as "Doon the double raw" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Doubt – The equivalent to think – as "I doubt = I think" ^[3]
• Dour – Sour-looking
• Douse – see Doose
• Doving – Dozing ^[3]
• Dow – see Daw -To thrive (obsolete) ^[2]
• Dowie – Depressed – as "Cheer up, hinny, dinna look dowie"
• Dowly – Dull, doleful – "Chorch is sae dowly" ^[3]
• Dowp – A word with more than one meaning
  • Dowp – The carrion crow ^[2]
  • Dowp – The buttocks ^[2]
• Dowtah or Dowtor – Daughter
• Dozzle – see Dottle
• Draa – Draw
• Draak, Drak, Drauk, Droak, Drawk – To saturate, soak – "A've gotten drawked throu = I've got wet throiugh"
• Draas – Drawers -as "a kist o' draas = a chest of drawers"
• Drag – A sprag of wood thrust between the spokes of a wheel to act as a brake ^[2]
• Draggletail – A slut, a slatten
• Drak – see Draak
• Drapo – A drop
• Drauk – see Draak
• Drawk – see Draak
• Dree, Dreed – To dread
• Drift – A shallow angle tunnel, usually into a hill, driven to reach coal
• Droak – see Draak
• Drook, Drouk – To drench with water – as "Drooked ti the skin" ^[2]
• Droon – Drown
• Droonded – To drown -as "He droonded he' sell"
• Drooned-oot – Refers to a colliery that has been flooded
• Droothy – Thirst or thirsty
• Drouk – see Drook
• Drumly – Drumly – muddy, thick ^[2]
• Druned – Drowned
• Dry-Dike – A stone wall built without lime
• Dub – A dirty pool ^[2]
• Duccot – A dovecot – also a pigeon-duccot or pigeon cree
• Ducks AND Drakes – A children's game in which flat stones are thrown on water which scim the surface several times before sinking.
• Duckstone – A boys' game, played by any number of boys. Each player chooses a nice round stone about the size of a cricket-ball, and calls it his 'duck.' A mark is made on the ground, and at a distance of about six feet from the line or 'bye' a large stone is placed, on which one of the players sets his duck. The game begins by choosing who has to set his duck on the stone. This is done by all the players pitching or rolling their ducks as near the stone as possible; the one farthest off 'lies on.' Then the rest of the players 'toe the bye,' and try to knock his duck off. If the 'man' can touch a player carrying his duck back, before he reaches the bye, this player then becomes the 'man.' The duck must always be on the stone when a player is touched,— ' else it is no go' ^[3]
• Duddin – An outfit of clothes ^[2]
• Duds – Working clothes
• Duergar, Dorch, Dwerch – A goblin race of beings known on the Border, a race of ugly dwarfs who would lead travellers into bogs, rather like Will-o'-the-wisps – "The worst and most malicious order of Fairies" – from the Old Norse "Duergar|Dvergar = dwarf"
• DUFF – Fine coal, or coal dust – Hence, duffy, trashy, cheap and nasty (of sugar); small, like flour (of coal); ticklish, hard, awkward. The vowel in 'duff,' 'stuff,' etc., is longer than the ordinary vowel, being 'oo', a sound halfway between 'uo' and 'ow' ^[14]
• Dulbert, Dalbert – A dullard ^[2]
• Dump – Cigarette butt or fag end
• Dumplin – A dumpling, “a pudding of dumplin and suet”
• Dun – Yellowish brown colour -as "The dun coo booza = The pub called the Dun Cow"
• Dunch – To knock against -as "Somebody dunched his airm"
• Dungen, Dung – (past participle of) Ding = Driven or knocked about with violence = as"Aa thowt he'd a dungen doon the door" ^[2]
• Dunt – To strike on the backside (Once a custom among schoolboys who held the victim by the legs and arms and struck his behind against a stone. See Dunting Stone at Newbiggin)
• Dunting Stone – A stone on Newbiggin Moor against which on the Wednesday in May nearest to the 18th, newcomers are initiated by “dunting” (*17)
• Durdum – see Dirdum – Noise and excitement, a confusion ^[2]
• Dut – Bowler hat.
• Dwalm – A slight illness, a faint fit – as "He tyuk a kind o' dwalm, like" ^[2]
• Dwarmy – Faint, languid ^[3]
• Dwerch – see DUERGAR – A goblin race
• Dwine – To pine away, to dwindle ^[2]
• Dyah – Day
• Dyel – A word with more than one meaning
  • Dyel, Deal, Dale, Dole – To divide, to apportion – as "Dyel smaal an' sarve all = Divide small and give everyone a piece" ^[2]
  • Dyel, Dale – A deal board ^[2]
• Dyke -see Dike – Usually a ditch, but also a fence, hedge, earthen or stone wall – Old English
• Dyun – Done

• Eany and light – Of bread, when the interior has a glazed appearance and is full of holes ^[2]
• Earthfast – An isolated stone enclosed in a bed of earth and with special properties ^[2]
• Edder – SEE Ether – Adder – but a "fleeing ether" = dragonfly ^[2]
• Eddle – see Addle – to earn ^[2]
• Ee – A word with several meanings
  • Ee – An expression of delight.
  • Ee – Hey or hoy
  • Ee – You -as "It was ee at did it = It was you who did it"
  • Ee – Eye
• Eee – Eye
• Een – see Eee – eyes ^[3]
• Efa – A small diminutive person – as "He's nowt but an efa" ^[2]
• Efter – After -as "He tyeks efter the fethor =- He is like his father"
• Eigh-Wye – Used to express indifference or regret ^[2]
• Eiteen – Eighteen
• Ekwil – Equal
• Ellerish – see Yellerish – weird, etc.^[2]
• Else – Aslready – as "That'll dee, else" ^[2]
• Elwis – Always
• Emly – Only
• End-on – Having the end towards the spectator – "The waggons wis comin end-on" ^[2]
• Enyuf – Enough – as "If she's but a woman, That's enyuf for me" from the Geordie song "Broom Buzzems" by William Purvis (Blind Willie)
• Ether, Edder – Adder – but a "Fleeing ether" = dragonfly ^[2]
• Ettin – see Yetun – A bogle, a giant or supernatural inhabitant of an old castle (Old English – eoten) ^[2]
• Ettle – To intend, arrange -as "Aa'll ettle to be there, noo, if I can = I intend to be there now, if I can"
• Everys – A children's game of searching and when something is found everyone shouts Everys – the article found is then shared out

• Faa – To fall – also the name of a Gypsy clan (Faw)
• Faal – To fall
• Faallen Wrang – Become pregnant
• Faas – see Faws
• Face – Mining term – for the end of the working where the hewers work
• Facy -Impudent, shame-faced ^[2]
• Fad – A word with more than one meaning
  • Fad – A hobby or whimsical fancy
  • Fad – A bundle such as can be conveniently carried under the arm or in the hand ^[2]
• Fadge – A word with more than one meaning
  • Fadge – (noun) – A small flat loaf of bread generally made up from the dough left over from a baking
  • Fadge – (verb) – To fadge, to eat together in celebration of a Christian friendship and fellowship
  • Fadging – Visiting other houses to partake in eating cakes (similar to first footing)
  • Fadging – (verb) -Eating the bread of brotherly union and concord – (In Warkworth, Northumberland|Warkworth, "at the season of the New Year there is provided a rich cake with its usual accompaniment of wine. Great interchange of visiting takes place. It is called 'fadging,' or 'eating fadge.' Fadging really means eating the bread of brotherly union and concord. 'Come and fadge with me' is as much as saying 'Come and break bread with me and taste wine, in token that bygones shall be bygones.'" – from Notices from the ancient vill of Warkworth, Northumberland|Warkworth which appeared in The Berwickshire Naturalists' Club Volume V in 1863 and written by John Woodham Dunn|Rev. J. W. Dunn ^[6]
• Faff – To mess about
• Faggit – A term of contempt -as "Ye impitent faggit = You impudent thing"
• Fail dyke – A dyke of turf or sods ^[2]
• Fair – In earnest or seriously – as "Thor's floor an' coals to get, The hoose-wark's not half deun. Sae--haud the bairn for fairs, Thou's often deun't for fun" – from Come Geordie ha'd the bairn by Joe Wilson (Geordie singer)|Joe Wilson
• Fair-beat – Worn out
• Fairin – A prize from a fair – as "Bring'z a fairin hyem, mind"
• Faithor – see Fether
• Fall – The Autumn, in the autumn
• Fard – Favoured – (see also Ill-fard and Well-fard)
• Fardin – Farthing (British coin)|Farthing (a coin)
• Farl, Farrel – An oatcake, or a fourth part of same ^[2]
• Farm Yakker – A manual worker on a farm
• Far-ower – Much too -as "Far-ower clivvor = much too clever"
• Farrel – see Farl
• Fash – Trouble -as "Aa've hed a fashous job on't = I've had a troublesome job with it" – also see the Lambton Worm
• Fat – This word is used by boys playing marbles. If a player shoots his marble into the ring, he is said to have 'spun fat,' and ceases playing ^[3]
• Fathor – see Fether
• Faws – The common name for a gypsy or tinker – derived from Johnny Faw, a chief of the Scottish gypsies and often used as a term of abuse – as "Get oot, ye clarty Faa = Get out you dirty slut) ^[6])
• Feck – Portion – as "He did the main feck of the work = he did most of the work" ^[3]
• Feckless – Helpless and feeble. The regular epithet of contempt for any one unable to shift for himself.
• Fell – A word with more than one meaning
  • Fell – A hill – used in numerous place names in Northumberland and Durham e.g. Low Fell, Gateshead Fell ^[6]
  • Fell – To knock down with a blow
• Femmer – Weak or frail – as "She's nobbut femmer = She's frail"
• Fend – To look after (or shift for) oneself, to do well
• Fenkle – A bend or corner – geographic – there are Fenkle Streets in Newcastle and Alnwick – (It has been suggested Finchdale (Abbey) is so called from a bend in the Wear at this point. This is very unlikely) ^[6])
• Fernietickles – Freckles
• Fetch – May mean fetch, but can also mean reach – as "But still it wad na' fetch it" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Fetched – Used instead of Browt or Brung and being used as the past tense of bring ^[3]
• Fether – Father – as "He tyeks efter the fether =- He is like his father"
• Fettle – A word with several meanings
  • Fettle – Condition -as "What fettle, marra? = How are you, sir"
  • Fettle – Mood -as "He's iv a bad fettle = He's in a bad mood"
  • Fettle – To repair or put in order – as "The lock wants fettlln = The lock requires putting right" – and as an old saying "A woman has enough work to do with her children, makin', mendin', and fettlin' for their bellies" ^[14]
• Feyce – see FYECE, face
• Feul – A fool
• Few – A small number but used in expressions – as "A good few or a cannv few = A large number"
• Fey – The state of a person who was supposed to be dying but would act as if nothing ailed him. ("The word fey was formerly used both in Scotland and in the North of England to express the state of a person who was supposed to be dying but who would rise from his bed and go about the house, conversing with his friends, as if nothing ailed him. Persons also in health, whose eyes displayed unusual brightness, and who appeared to act and speak in a wild and mysterious manner when preparing for battle or for a perilous journey, were frequently said to be 'fey" that is, doomed shortly to meet with their death." in Stephen Oliver (Jr)|Stephen Oliver's "Rambles in Northumberland" from 1835, p. 108) ^[6])
• Fiddy faddy – Trivial, elaborate, e. g. of fancy work ^[3]
• Fillum – Film, movie
• Findy-keepy – Who finds keeps – a children's expression as "Lossy, seeky, findy. Keepy" to claim the right to keep the article
• Fine tasted – Fine flavoured ^[3]
• Finger Cakes – Ladyfingers, light and sweet sponge cakes roughly shaped like a large finger, Savoiardi in Italian (= from Savoy) – More commonly called 'sucking calves' ^[3]
• Finnan Haddie|Finnie Haddie – A finnan haddock
• First – Used instead of next – as "See him to tea Monday first = See him next Monday" ^[3]
• First-Foot|First Footing – The first person who enters one's doors on New Year's Day
• Fit as a lop – Very fit, fit as a flea – (lop = flea)
• Fitter – The agent of the shipping port who sells and loads the produce of a colliery – They were formerly known as hostmen ^[2]
• Five quarter seam – Mining term -The typical thiockness of a seam (of coal) = 5 x ¼ yards = 3' 9" ^[2]
• Flaff – To fly about, as a flag -as "Ma sarties, hed ye nobbit seen Green's bonny silk balloon, man ! Reet fra the Spital to the clouds It flaffer'd very suen, man. Wi' starin' aw near lost ma seet" – from "On Willy's Coronation", Thomas Allan (publisher)|Thomas Allan’s Tyneside Songs, 1891
• Fladges, Flatches – Snowflakes ^[3]
• Flag – Largish flat stones used as roofing tiles and paving
• Flaid – Afraid -as "Me hand's puttin', an' aa's flaid it's gan ti bleed"
• Flam – A lie
• Flap – Trouser fly
• Flapjack – A small cake of flour fried in grease
• Flat – Mining term – The position or place (called a station) to which the 'putter' pushes the full 'tubs.' Here they are hitched together, and taken by the driver, —ten or twelve tubs at a time—to the 'landing,' which is a larger flat. From this flat they are drawn by the engine to the 'shaft.'
• Flatches – see Fladges ^[3]
• Flatty – A flat fish ^[2]
• Fleeing Ether – A dragonfly – but an "Edder" = adder ^[2]
• Flev – From
• Fley – To scare – "Lad, dinna fley the galloway = Don't scare the horse, lad"
• Flig, Fligged – Fledged – as "Hardly fligged ower the dowp = Immature" ^[2]
• Flinches – A boys' game where the players place their caps in a row against the wall and take it in turns to roll a ball into a cap. The owner of the cap which contains the ball picks it out and throws it at one of the players. If he fails to hit a boy, a small stone is put into his cap, and he is said to be 'one egg.' As soon as he is 'three egg,' and out. Play continues until only one player remains. The rest of the players now place their hands against the wall in turn, and the winner is rewarded by having three shots with the ball at each player's hand. If a boy flinches or takes his hand away, he suffers three shots more for each flinch. In addition, when a player takes the ball out of his cap, to throw at a boy, he may call on him not to 'stir flesh;' but if the other boy is quicker, and calls out 'flinches,' he is allowed to dodge ^[3]
• Fling – To throw
• Flip – A hat-brim
• Flipe – A strip of skin, a skin ^[2]
• Flit – To remove from one house to another – as (She chalks up 'scores' at a' the shops Wheriver we've a twel'month stayed; And when we flit, the landlord stops Maw sticks till a' the rent be paid." from The Pitman's Pay by Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson, 1843 ^[9] – see also Moonlight flit
• Fliterary – see Flit or Moonlight flit ^[3]
• Floo-ors – Flowers
• Flummix – To surprise -as "He flummix'd him = He had the best of the argument"
• Fly-by-night – see Flit – A worthless person who gets into debt and then disappears to avoid paying.
• Foalfoot – Coltsfoot ^[3]
• Fog – The clover or second crop that follows a hay crop ^[2]
• Foist – A word with more than one meaning
  • Foist – A damp and sour smell – the adjective is foisty
  • Foist – To pass something off as genuine
• Folk – People, menfolk, womenfolk
• Folly – Any ridiculous building. (e.g. Sharpe's Folly, Rothbury) ^[6]
• Folly Tar – A game played with marbles, while walking along. One boy shoots his marble, and the other tries to hit it. If it comes within the span (hand's-breadth), it is called 'Spangy Wonnzes (or Oneses)' but if it hits, it is called ' Knocky Towsers (or twoses)' ^[3]
• Fon, Fo' – (preposition) – For – as in "I'll work fon thee (or 'im) = I will work for you (or him)" ^[3]
• Fond – HaIf-witted or silly -as "Fond as a besom = Daft as a brush"
• Fond Steg – A stupid fellow
• Foond – Found – as "Hey, wor Geordie's foond 'is penka" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Foot – Lower part of a street as head the upper part
• Footrunner – Professional sprinter
• For Fair – see Fair
• Forby – A word with more than one meaning
  • Forby – A direction ^[2]
  • Forby – In addition to and over and above – as "He's twelve stone onyway, forby the clathes"
• Force – Waterfall (as in Teesdale and the North Pennines generally)
• Fore-Elders – Forebears, ancestors ^[3]
• Fore-Shift – The first shift of hewers who descend the pit for work
• Forkytail – Earwig
• Fornenst – Against, in front of
• Forst – First -as "Aa barleyed forst kick = I claim first kick"
• Forst Foot – The person who first enters a house on New Year's Day. A dark man is preferred and he brings in food or fuel, usually coal
• Forthless – Worthless, useless ^[3]
• Fortneet – Fortnight
• Fosey – see Phosey – Frostbitten when applied to turnips
• Fother – A cartload of anything in general ^[2]
• Fourmart – Polecat, or stoat or marten (round Hexham) ^[2]
• Fower – Four
• Fowersome – A group of four persons
• Fowk – A word with more than one meaning
  • Fowk – Folk
  • Fowk – Fork
• Fowt – Fought.
• Foy – A fee or reward.
• Foyboatman – A boatman who watches for boats coming into the River Tyne in the hope of getting employment in mooring them
• Fozy – Unsound, of vegetables – as "A 'fozy' turnip = A woody one, possibly frostbitten" ^[3]
• Frae – From
• Fratch – A quarrel or disagreement.
• Frem – From
• Fremd – Strange – as "He was mair like a frem'd body na a friend = He was more like a stranger than a friend" ^[3]
• Fresh – A thaw. – as "There's a heavy (or, thick) fresh on = It's thawing quickly" ^[3]
• Fret – A fog on the coast usually called a seafret
• Frock – A dress
• Frozzin – Frozen
• Fud – Food ^[3]
• Full, Fullem – The house-leek ^[2]
• Fullen – see FULL
• Funnin -Joking
• Fyece – Face -as "She bashed me fyece = She hit me in the my face" as "So aa says te wor Nan, "Its a lang way te gan", aa saa biv hor fyece she wes vext" from "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" by Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong
• Fyess – see FYECE
• Fyul – A fool

• Ga – Gave – as "Ye ga twice as much as it's worth" ^[2]
• Gaadger – A gauger, an exciseman ^[2]
• Gaak – Stare
• Gaaky – Clownish ^[2]
• Gaan – see Gan
• Gab – Empty talk
• Gad – A rod, a staff, a fishing-rod, a cattle goad – as "A gad o' iron" ^[2]
• Gad-smash-me-sark – An oath ^[2]
• Gadgie – An old man, originally employed as a watchman
• Gae – To go – as "Gae doon the toon = Go down to the town" or "We gaed away at a bonny pace – We went away to a nice place"
• Gaff – A theatre or cinema
• Gaffer – Foreman – originally a term of respect for an old man
• Gaffin – Lowering, cloudy – as "The weather's ower gaffin" ^[2]
• Gair – A strip of verdure on the uplands ^[2]
• Gairn – A word with more than one meaning
  • Gairn – Woolen yarn ^[2]
  • Gairn – To grin ^[2]
• Gait – Way, road – also – a short journey (particularly in mining terms) e. g. A workman, removing a heap of soil or stones, if asked how much still remains, will sometimes answer, "Another gyet 'll takd up," meaning one more journey – pronounced 'gyet' ^[3]
• Galloway – A small horse originally from Galloway in Scotland. They were used to carry lead ore from the mines to the smelt mills. Pit ponies in Durham were always called galloways
• Galluses or Galusses – Men's braces. Derived from the gallows on which people were hung
• Gam – A game, fun ^[2]
• Gammin' – Funning, making a fool of ^[2]
• Gammy – Lame -as "He's getten a gammy leg"
• Gan – (verb) – To go -as "As seun as aa hord him, aa gans up tiv him = As soon as I heard him, I went up to him" – From the Anglo Saxon word for "go"
• Gan Hyem – Go home – Norse = gå hjem
• Gan-on – A fuss
• Gander or Gandie – Good look
• Ganner – A good goer -as "He's not bonny-leukin', but he's a ganner"
• Gannin – Going -as "Gannin alang the Benwell and Scotswood|Scotswood Road te see the Blaydon Races" from the song Blaydon Races written by George "Geordie" Ridley
• Ganny – Grandmother
• Gant, Gaunt – (verb) To gape, to yawn – (noun) an inhalation, as of a bad smell – AS "aa gat a fair gant on't" ^[2]
• Ganzie – A thick woollen jersey, especially worn by fishermen. Said to originate from Guernsey.
• Gar – To compel, to force, to cause – as "Gar's an ill weed to grou" ^[2]
• Garth – A guarded or fenced piece of ground. The old area covered by the castle was called the Castle Garth
• Gate – A word with several meanings
  • Gate, Geyet, Gyet – Many meanings as the following – Note – a field gate is a "Yett"
  • Gate – A street as Newgate Street – from Old Saxon
  • Gate – An entrance – commemorate the old gates which led into the town, such as Westgate and Gallowgate (Narrowgate ^[6] in Alnwick means a street not a town gate)
  • Gate – Way -as "Gan yor ann gate = Go your own way"
• Gatesheed, Gyetsid – Gateshead
• Gaudger – see Gaadger – An exciseman
• Gaumless – Silly, ignorant, stupid or useless
• Gaunt – see Gant
• Gaup – To gape or stare -as "What are ye gaupin at? = What are you staring at?"
• Gavelick, Geavlick, Gavelock – A crowbar ^[2]
• Gavelock – see Gavelick
• Gawk – as Gaak and Gaup – to stare
• Gay, Gey – Rather, somewhat, very – "He's gay aad = He's very old" ^[2]
• Gean Tree – The wild cherry ^[2]
• Geat, Geed – Jet – "Black as geet" ^[2]
• Geavlick – see Gavelick
• Gedge -To make a wry face ^[2]
• Gedgin – Giggling, impertinent ^[2]
• Gee, Geey – Stubbornness or taking the pique – aa "She teuk the gee = She was very stubborn"
• Geed – (past tense of) Give ^[2]
• Geen – see – Gien
• Geet – Great -as "Geet big gob = Great big mouth"
• Geey – A word with more than one meaning
  • Geey – Crooked, twisted – as "It's all a-gee-y (pronounced jae waay)" ^[3]
  • Geey – see Gee – Stubbornness
• Geezer – A mummer, and hence a queer character
• Gennel – A narrow passageway between houses (also GINNEL or SNICKET)
• Geordie – A word with more than one meaning
  • Geordie – A native of Tyneside, or its language or dialect
  • Geordie – Nickname for George Stephenson's safety-lamp
• Ger Off – Get off, learn by heart – "Get some songs off = learn some sons by heart"
• Gerraway – Get away, exclamation of surprise, doubt, or disbelief
• Gerse – Grass
• Get – Come ^[3]
• Getten – Got
• Getten her bed – Of a woman's being confined (for childbirth) ^[2]
• Getts – Young children ^[2]
• Gew-Gaw – A Jew's harp or mouth organ
• Gey – see GAY
• Geyen – Gone
• Geyet – see GATE
• Geyzened – Dried up
• Ghyll – A bit of wild ground hollowed out by nature, a ravine, in some places a stream or riverlet in the ravine
• Gi – To give.
• Gie – see Gi
• Gien, Geen, Giyen – (past paticiple of Gi) – Given – as "Aa wad geen owt to seen'd"
• Gif, Gin – If ^[2]
• Gift of the gab – The ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly.
• Gild – A word with more than one meaning
  • Gild – (noun) Play, high spirits – as "A body full o' gild" ^[2]
  • Gild – (verb) – To skylark, to play pranks ^[2]
• Gill – A word with more than one meaning
  • Gill – (with hard 'g') – A place hemmed in by two steep banks, usually wooded, a ravine. Although common in Cumberland it is rare in Northumberland ^[6])
  • Gill – (with soft 'g)' – Half pint (or quarter of a pint in old recipes) – as "Come, ho'way get a jill o' beer, Thy heart to cheer" from Bob Cranky's Adieu by John “Jack” Shield
• Gillihowlet – The yellow owl ^[2]
• Gilt, Gilded – A drunk
• Gimmer – A word with several meanings
  • Gimmer – A young ewe
  • Gimmer – A low woman, or with children, an imp, a rapscallion
  • Gimmer – One fork of a tree ^[2]
• Gin – see Gif
• Ginnel – A narrow passageway between houses (also Gennel or Snicket)
• Girdle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Girdle – Mining term – A very thin, compact band or stratum ^[2]
  • Girdle – see Gordle – An iron plate used on the open fire
• Girdle-Kyeks – see Gordle-Kyeks
• Girn – A word with more than one meaning
  • Girn – To pull a face, may be by gnashing the teeth, showing the teeth, gaping, grinning and similar
  • Girn – To whimper
• Girning – A (some may say) light-hearted competition in which people girn (make elaborate faces) through a horse collar; most popular in rural parts
• Girse – Grass, A word in very common use by old people ^[2]
• Gis or Gi'z – Give me, give us
• Giss-Giss – The call to a pig
• Gissy – A pig – for superstitious reasons, especially among fishermen, pigs were rarely called by their proper name.
• Git – Very – as "Git big = Great big"
• Give – Given
• Gived – Gave "Aw gived it yer = I gave it to you"
• Giveower – Give over, or stop
• Giyen see Gien
• Gi'z – Give – se Gis
• Gize – To disguise – ("Of a poacher who was not over clean, when going out on an expedition asked his wife, Hoo mun a gize mesel? Wesh thee fyess, was the prompt reply." {or "How can I disguise myself ?" answer "Wash your face} – from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Gizen, Gyzen – To dry up, to crack open with drought ^[2]
• Gizend, Gyzend – Parched ^[2]
• Gizer – A masquerader
• Glaiked, Glaiket, Glaiky – Giddy, foolish, thoughtless, inattentive to duty, unsteady ^[2]
• Glaiket – see Glaiked
• Glaiky – see Glaiked
• Glair, or Glaur – Mud, shining dirt, filth, liquid mud – more objectionable than clarts
• Glaky – Slow witted
• Glass Alley – A very fine playing marble
• Glaur – see Glair
• Glee-Eye – Squint eye
• Gleed, Glide – Crooked or twisted, squinting – as "Gleed Will" ^[2]
• Gleede – A falcon ^[2]
• Gleg – Quick, smart, acute – as "Gled at the uptak" ^[2]
• Glent – (verb) To glint, to flash
• Glent – (noun) A glance – as "Aa seed it bi the glent o' yor ee" ^[2]
• Glide – see Gleed
• Gliff – A sudden fright.
• Glisk – A glance of light, a transient ray, a transient view ^[2]
• Glower – Glare
• Glyme – To look slily ^[2]
• Goaf, Goave – Mining term – The part of the mine from which all the coal has been worked
• Goam – see Gome
  • Gob – A word with several meanings
  • Gob – (noun) – The mouth – as in the expression "Gift o' the gab"
  • Gob – (verb) – To express insolence – as "To set up his gob"
  • Gobby – see Gorlin- Newly-hatched ^[2]
  • Gobby – Loudmouthed and offensive"
  • Gobby Brat – An impudent child
• Gock – An everyday expression of surprise – as "Baa gauk, thoo's a quare 'un = Good heavens, you're a funny one" ^[3]
• Gog – A boy's marble ^[2]
• Goggley or Googley – Staring eyes. – as "But the worm got fat an' grewed an' grewed, An' grewed an aaful size; He'd greet big teeth, a greet big gob, An greet big goggly eyes." – from the song of the Lambton Worm by C.M. Leumane in 1867
• Goldspink, Gooldspink, Goudspink, Spink – The Carduelis|goldfinch
• Goldy – Golden colour ^[2]
• Gollan, Golland, Gowlan – A flower of a golden hue e.g. the scentless mayweed, the buttercup – as "As yalla as a gollan" ^[2]
• Gollar – A growl, to speak in a loud, angry, or threatening tone
• Gollars – The sea swell between Megstone Rock (Farne Islands) and House Island. – ("The opposite currents frequently cause a short, and to small boats a rather dangerous swell, like breakers. This ripple is known to the fishermen of the neighbourhood by the very significant name of the gollars" – from Stephen Oliver (Jr)|Stephen Oliver's Rambles in Northumberland. 1835, p. 204.) ^[6])
• Gollup – To gulp one's food
• Gome – To heed – as "He niver gomed me there = He took no notice of me regarding that" ^[3]
• Goniel – A fool, stupid person
• Good few – A fair number, a canny few
• Googley – see Goggley
• Gooldspink – see Goldspink
• Gooldy – A Sovereign (British coin)|sovereign (a COIN) or the goldfinch ^[2]
• Goonpowda, Goon pooda – Gunpowder as "Soo he's gone ta get goon pooda" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Goose's flesh – The feeling on the skin when cold or afraid because it was thought it was like a plucked fowl
• Gorbit – see Gorlin
• Gord – Metal hoop – as "The bairns hez all getten gords tiplay wi'" – OR "The gords is aall comm' oft the rain tubs"
• Gordle or Girdle – A flat circular iron plate with handle which is used on the open fire for making singin-hinnies – On any special occasion such as a birthday or wedding the gordle was set on for baking spice Singing hinny|SINGIN HINNIES. The cakes baked on the girdle were called Gordle-Kyeks
• Gordle-Kyeks, Girdle-Kyeks – Cakes baked on the girdle
• Gore – A gusset. A tongue of stuff inserted as a patch ^[3]
• Gorl, Gurl – To rush and roar ^[2]
• Gorlin, Gorbit, Gobby – A newly-hatched or unfledged bird. (Also prefixed) raa- ^[2]
• Gorn – To grin, to make a face ^[2]
• Gort – Great ^[2]
• Gosh, Goshcab – Very common oaths ^[2]
• Gov, Gove – Gave (past participle) – Gav...is less emphatic ^[2] – as "She gov a bit smile, when aa spoke up and said, "There's a pubbilick hoose alang heor" from "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" by Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong
• Gowan – The common daisy ^[2]
• Gowk – A word with more than one meaning
  • Gowk – The heart of a plant, especially of an apple
  • Gowk – A simpleton – "April gowk = April fool"
• Gowlan – see – Gollan ^[2]
• Gowpen – The hollow of both hands placed together – as "A gowpen o' yetts" ^[2]
• Gowsty – Gusty -as "Gan roon' the corner, it's ower gowsty heor = Lets go round the corner (or the other side) as it’s a bit windy here"
• Gox – A common oath – a corruption of God
• Grace-Wife – A midwife (from 1645) ^[2]
• Grafflin – Searching for something with one's hand
• Graip – see Grape – A type of shovel or fork ^[2]
• Graith – A word with more than one meaning
  • Graith – Gear, equipment, riches, furniture, social rank ^[2]
  • Graith – To harness, to equip, to accoutre, to dress – as "Weel graithed" ^[2]
• Grand – Great, fine – as "How are you ?, I'm grand = I'm fine"
• Granda – Grandfather
• Grape – A word with more than one meaning
  • Grape – To grope, search ^[3]
  • Grape – A kind of shovel (see Gripe') or huge fork-like implement used in filling coke, and by farmers for removing manure ^[3]
• Grayne – A clan or family
• Greaf – To dig (the word was common around Alston, Cumbria|Alston )^[2]
• Greaver, Grover – A miner who works in an adit level or a lead mine ^[2]
• Gree – To agree ^[2]
• Greedy hound – One who bolts his meat like a dog
• Greet – A word with more than one meaning
  • Greet – Great, large
  • Greet – To cry, to fret, to wee
• Grey – A word with more than one meaning
  • Grey – A badger ^[2]
  • Grey – A greyhound – from Icelandic grey, a dog ^[2]
• Grey Hen – A large stone-ware bottle, usually containing intoxicating liquor
• Greybird, Greybord – (pronounced gree baud) – Common name for the song-thrush ^[3]
• Grice – A little pig
• Gripe, Grape – A garden fork
• Groond – Ground – Old earth closet – used in the expression "He hadn't been to ground for—days" ^[3]
• Groop – A drain or ditch. – (In Newcastle the Javel Groop was a narrow opening leading from the Close to the river. Originally it was the Gaole Grippe (the gaol ditch). Javel is a corruption of gaol) ^[6][18]
• Grosser – A gooseberry – ("They grummle at their walk, and gruut aboot their meat. On beef an' groser dumplings they varra faia wad feed, Wi' tea. by George ! o' Sundays, an' butter on their bioid. What dis a plewmau want wi' skeulin, aw wad ken ?" from 'Reminiscences of an old farmer' by George Chatt. 1866)
• Grover – see Greaver
• Grozer – Gooseberry – as "To jump like a cock at a grozer" ^[14]
• Grumle – To grumble – (as in many similar words the b is silent)
• Grund – Ground
• Grunston – Grindstone
• Guessing-story – A conundrum or riddle – ("Te winter nights in many country houses were passed by the fire light and guessing-stories often relieved the graver talk. The guessing-stories had a narrative form, and were not mere puzzles in a sentence. Such a one as the following is a common instance. Clink, clank doon the bank, ten again fower, splish, splash in the dish, till it run ower." Answer, the milking of a cow. Both hands are required – that is, ten fingers against the four teats. Another: "As green as grass, as white as milk and bearded like a pard." Answer, a turnip." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland words' 1892-94)
• Guild-Bell – The great bell of Newcastle Cathedral|St. Nicholas' church which summons the meeting of the Newcastle freemen
• Guisen, Guizen – To become dried and contracted, of rain-tubs or wooden cisterns, so that the water 'sipes' (seeps) out – as "Yen tub 'll guisen = That tub is leaking" ^[3]
• Guisers, Guizard, Guizart, Guizer – Play-actors, men and boys in disguise (with blackened faces and paper caps), who go about performing a rough Christmas play ^[3]
• Guising – Taking part in the play as Guisersa ^[3]
• Guizard, Guizart, Guizer – see Guisers
• Guizen – see Guisen
• Gully – A large knife
• Gutsty – Gluttonous
• Guy – A young cow ^[2]
• Gy-Carling – A sort of mischievous elf who guides astray ^[2]
• Gyen – Gone -as "Thor aa' gyen = they are all gone"
• Gyep – A gape
• Gyet – see Gate
• Gyetsid – see Gatesheed – Gateshead
• Gyoose – Goose – as "Like a gyoose oot on' the heed = Like a goose out of it's head, i.e. bewildered or 'all abroad" – Old proverb ^[3]
• Gyzen – see Gizen – To dry up, to crack open with drought ^[2]
• Gyzend – see Gizend – Parched

• Haad – A word with several meanings
  • Haad, Had, Haed, Haud, Hod, Hoad – Grasp, hold -as – "To tyek had" – or – "Geordie haed the bairn = Geordie hold the child" – from Come Geordie ha'd the bairn by Joe Wilson (Geordie singer)|Joe Wilson – Old English and Old Norse
  • Haad on – Hold back -as "Haad on a min't = Wait a moment"
  • Haad yer tongue – Hold your tongue – as – "Haud yur tongue = Hold your tongue"
  • Haadyergob – Hold your mouth
  • Haadyerwisht – Hold your mouth
• Haak – A word with more than one meaning
  • Haak – A hawk
  • Haak – To cough
• Haaker – A hawker.
• Habnab – Anyhow, in random fashion ^[2]
• Hack – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hack – Mining term – A heavy pick, weighing about 7 lbs., with head about 18 in. in length – (also Tommy hack (round head and chisel point), Jack hack (round head and sharp point), Pick hack (sharp head and chisel point) ^[3]
  • Hack, Hawk – A muck fork having three or four tines, and bent at a right angle to the handle ^[2]
• Hacker-Berry, Hagberry – The bird cherry ^[2]
• Hackle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hackle – An iron comb – for teasing hemp or flax ^[2]
  • Hackle – A crest of feathers or hair ^[2]
• Hacky – Dirty
• Hackt-Dorty – Very dirty
• Had – see Haad – Grasp, hold
• Hadaway – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hadaway – Begone -as "Hadaway wi' ye"
  • Hadaway – You're having me on
• Hadden Haddin – Holding – as "Haddin on for bare life = Hanging on for dear life" – or – "Hoo are ye hadden? = How are you (or really is your health) holding"
• Hadder-up – A holder up = a plater's helper in the shipyard (a trade now obsolete)
• Hadlneer – Hardly ever
• Hae – see Hev – Have ^[2]
• Haed – see Haad – Grasp, hold
• Haffit – The side of the head ^[2]
• Haffits – The underside of the jaw ^[2]
• Haffle – To stammer, to falter – as "To be haffled = To be confused" ^[2]
• Hag, Hagg – A peat escarpment – ("A projecting mass of peat forming an escarpment on a peat moor, or the peat on high moors left by edges of water gutters. These hags form miniature ravines on the surface." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Hagberry – see Hacker-Berry
• Hag-Worm – The blind-worm or slow worm ^[2]
• Hagg – see Hag
• Hagger't – Beggared
• Haggismeat – On Tyneside, minced pieces of tripe
• Hail – Whole
• Hail – (intransitive) – To pour – e.g. perspiration ^[2]
• Hain – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hain – To shield, To exculpate (to free somebody from guilt or blame, especially with supporting evidence) ^[3]
  • Hain – To keep back, to preserve – as "Weel hained = To look good in old age" ^[2]
• Haipeth – A Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|Half Pennysworth
• Hairn – The brain (archaic) ^[2]
• Hale – The goal at football – ("Rothbury, the custom of football-play on Shrove Tuesday had been observed from time immemorial until the year 1867. The hale or goal of the Thropton men was the bridge over the Wreigh at Thropton." – from David “Dippie” Dixon|D. D. Dixon's, Shrowe-tide Customs)
• Half-Cocked – Half drunk
• Halfers – A cry amongst children claiming half of anything that has been given or found. When an article has been lost, a lad guards against the claim of sharing by calling out, No halfers; lossie, findie, seekie, keepie. If he finds it after this he is supposed to be its individual owner." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop)
• Half-Nowt – Almost nothing
• Halleluias – Salvation Army folk
• Ham – A word with more than one meaning
  • Ham – Repeat – as "He ham'd it o'er and o'er = He'd repeat it over and over again" ^[3]
  • Ham – Village, estate or home – as place name endings such as Ovingham and Whittingham, Northumberland|Whittingham – Old English
• Hame – Home
• Hammer – To strike in a fight – as "Aa'll hammer ye = I'll give you a good hiding"
• Han-Sheckles – Handcuffs
• Hand-Putter – Mining term – one who puts without the help of a pony – see Putter
• Hands – Hands – Pasties, meags, paas, oars (arms), etc.^[2]
• Hand's Turn – An amount or stroke of work
• Hang-Fire – Wait
• Hanky – Handkerchief
• Hanstorn – Work -as "I havn't deun a hanstorn the day = I haven't done any work today" – hands-turn
• Hansum – Handsome
• Hant – Habit – "He has a nasty hant of doing that" ^[3]
• Hap – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hap – (noun) – An overcoat or extra covering – (There is a famous traditional (and annonymous) Newcastle saying which reads "At the Westgate came Thornton in, with a hap, a Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny and a lambskin" with another version "At the West Gate came Thornton in, with a happen hapt in a ram's skynne")
  • Hap – (verb) – To heap up, to cover – as "Hap weel up, it's a caad neet = Wrap yourself up, it's a cold night"
• Hap-Past – Half-past
• Happened – (verb) – e. g. "he happened along = He just happened to be there"
• Har, Harr – A mist
• Hard – see Herd – A shepherd, a cattle keeper
• Hard Card – Poverty
• Hardlies – Hardly
• Harle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Harle – To drag, to rake – as "To harl the road" ^[2]
  • Harle – A heronry
• Harrin – The herring -as "a Caller Harrin – fresh herring"
• Hashy – Wet, sleety – "Eh! what a hashy day" ^[2]
• Hask- Roughened, dried-up – as "A hask wind" – or "hask lips"
• Hass – see Hause ^[2]
• Hasty Pudding – Oatmeal porridge
• Hat, Hut – Hit (past participle) – as "Aa hat him, He hit me" ^[2]
• Hatter, Hattert – To shake up, as on a rough road – as "He wis sair hattert" ^[2]
• Haud – see Haad – Grasp, hold
• Haugh – A word with more than one meaning
  • Haugh – (pronounced Hoff or Harf) – geographical – Haugh (OE)|Haugh, A flat piece of land on a riverside – e.g. Derwenthaugh
  • Haugh – A promontory such as that at Tynemouth or Hartlepool
• Hause, Hass – The neck or throat ^[2]
• Haver – Oats ^[2]
• Haveril – A garrulous person, a thoughtless gossip
• Havermeal – Oatmeal ^[2]
• Hawk – see Hack – A type of muck fork having three or four tines, and bent at a right angle to the handle ^[2]
• Hawkie – A white faced cow – as in the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie through the Watter" – from the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie through the watter" ^[13]
• He see Hev – Have ^[2]
• Head or Heed – Upper part of the street – lower part is the FOOT
• Heap – A lot -as "Jawed a heap of blather = Talked a load of nonsense"
• Heap-Steed – A word with more than one meaning
  • Heap-Steed, Heep-Steed – Mining term – The platform at a pit's mouth elevated above the surface level to allow the coals to be tipped over screens into waggons ^[2]
  • Heap-Steed – The place where a pit heap stands ^[2]
• Heather-Buzzom – A besom made of heather
• Heck, Heck-Door – The inner door between the entry or lobby and the house or kitchen ^[2]
• Heckler – A sharp tongued woman
• Hed – Had
• Hedgy – The hedge sparrow ^[2]
• Hee – High – (the place name Healey means a high clearing)- as Healey, Northumberland|Healey
• Heed – see – Heid
• Heed-Wark – Headache ^[2]
• Heedwis – In a forward direction, onward, headways ^[2]
• Heep-Steed – see Heap-Steed ^[2]
• Heh – see Hev – Have ^[2]
• Heid, Heed – Head – as "It struck Wat Armstrong in the ee', Went through his steel cap, heid and a' " from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
• Helm – The top (crest) or head of a thing – as "Helm o' the hill" ^[2]
• Help – Fill
• Hemmel – A cattle shed. – ("An outbuilding on a farm; in olden days made of upright posts, with whin or broom interlaced, and a thatched roof, chiefly used in winter and the lambing season. The permanent hemmel, which forms a conspicuous feature in Northumberland farm buildings, is surrounded by a fold yard, and has in front an arcade of massive masonry, frequently surmounted by a granary. The hemmel-eye is the archway orifice giving access to the covered arcade. Four inhabited and four uninhabited place-names in Northumberland occur in combination with hemmel. Example, Red Hemmels." – from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Hemmel-Eye – The archway orifice giving access to the covered arcade
• Hemp – (noun) – A scamp ( *05)
• Hempy – (verb) – Up to tricks and pranks, mischievous – (The word has nothing to do with 'impudent') ^[3]
• Hen – To rue – as "He seun henn'd on't" ^[2]
• Henches, Hinches – see Honkers – Haunches ^[3]
• Henna – Haven't
• Heor – Here
• Herd, Herid, Hird, Hard – A shepherd, a cattle keeper
• Heronsheugh – A heron ^[2]
• Herp – Hope
• Hes – Has -as "He hes far ower much ti' say for hissell = He has far too much to say for himself"
• Het – A word with more than one meaning
  • Het – An exclamation of impatience -as "het! haud yur tongue"
  • Het – Hat
• Hettle – To act in haste or anger – as "He hettled it away" ^[2]
• Heugh – A precipitous hill or cliff
• Heuk-Nebbed – Hook-nosed
• Hev, He, Heh, Hae – Have -as "To hev a bft crack = To gossip"
• Hew – (verb) – To dig coal – as "Maw nyem is Geordy Black, aw'm gettin' varry awd, Aa've hewed tons o' coals i' maw time; An' when aw wes yung, aw cud either put or hew" from Geordy Black|Geordy (or Geordie) Black by Rowland Harrison|Rowland "Rowley" Harrison
• Hewer – (noun) The miner who digs the coal (Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson) ^[7]
• Hewly – see HOOLY – Softly, gently
• Hey – A common exclamation of surprise or indifference – as "Hey! aa din-aa = Really, I don't know" ^[3]
• Heyer-Watter – A heavy rain ^[2]
• Heyem – Home -as "They hed sic a heyem-coming as nivvor was"
• Heyem-Commin' – Home coming
• Heyk – see Hike
• Hez – Has -as "He hez nowt = He has nothing"
• Hike, Heyk – To swing, when a cart jolts or a boat rises and falls it is said to hike ^[2]
• Hikey – A swing ^[2]
• Hilly Howley – Hill and hole – a call when tossing the cricket bat for innings = 'hill' is the oval side uppermost, 'howl' the flat side
• Hinches, Henches – see Honkers – Haunches ^[3]
• Hind – Farm servant hired by the year – he usually had to provide a female worker called a bondager
• Hind-Berry- A raspberry ^[2]
• Hing – Hang
• Hinny – Honey, sweetheart, friend – local pronunciation of "honey" – A favourite term of endearment applied usually to women and children. Often used together with the similar word canny. – ("Aw'll tyek thee hyem a pot o' beer, A nice clean pipe, and backy te e: Thou knaws aw like te hae thee near-- Come, hinny, come! gan hyem wi' me." from The Pitman's Pay by Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson from the first collected edition of 1843) ^[9]
• Hint – The rear, the back, the hindermost, the very last
• Hintend – Posterior
• Hip – To hop
• Hippen – Often applied to the curtain of a theatre – as "Hoist the hippin" ^[2]
• Hippin – A nappy
• Hippin-Stones – Stepping stones across a stream
• Hipsy Dixie – (of evidence) Trumped up ^[3]
• Hird – see Herd – A shepherd, a cattle keeper
• Hiring – A fair where servants were hired
• Hirple – To walk lamely or with effort ^[2]
• Hirsel – A word with several meanings
• Hirsel – Herself
• Hirsel – To move about on a seat, (budge) – as "Hirsel alang – Move along/move up" ^[2]
  • Hirsel – Stock of sheep belonging to a hill farmer – the shepherd's portion which he grazed in return for his work is called a pack
• Hirst – A wood or thicket – also used as part of place name such as Ashington#Environs and villages surrounding Ashington|Longhirst
• Hissell – Himself -as "He hes far ower much ti~say for hissell = He has far too much to say for himself"
• Hit – It – Once common – as "That's hit noo"
• Hitch – A word with several meanings
  • Hitch – To hop on one leg
  • Hitch – Mining term – A small dislocation of the strata ^[2]
  • Hitchy Bay – The court used in the game of "Hopscotch"
  • Hitchy-Dabber – Hop scotch – the piece used in the game, or the game itself
• Hitty-Missy – At random
• Hiven, Hivin, Ivin – Ivy ^[2]
• Hoad – see Haad – Grasp, hold
• Hoastman – A coal-shipper at Newcastle – now obsolete
• Hoats – see Hotes – Hush
• Hob – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hob – The iron bars in front of a fire -as "Put the kettle on the hob"
  • Hob – Iron pin (the target) used in playing quoits
• Hpbbie – Nickname for Robin or Robert ^[2]
• Hoccle – Spit
• Hod – see Haad – Grasp, hold
• Hogamadog – The huge ball of snow made by boys in rolling a snowball over soft snow ^[2]
• Hogger – Hosepipe
• Hoggers – Footless stockings worn by pitmen at work – (pitman wore stockings with the feet cut off so when small coals got into the stocking he only pulled off the foot and not the whole stocking)
• Hoit, Hout – A contemptible person – as "Ye greet lazy hoit"
• Hoity-Toity – Flighty or assuming airs
• Hold – Stop, don't, hold hard – as "Hold thi hand = Stop"
• Holey-Stone – A stone with a (natural) hole in it, thought to have magic properties
• Homil – see Humel – To break off, break down (e.g. road chippings, or flailing barley) ^[2]
• Homlick – The common hemlock – as – "As hollow as a homlick" ^[2]
• Honey – (pronounced and spelt Hinny) – see Hinny
• Honkers – Haunches as in the expression "sfttin on his honkers"
• Honour Bright – An assurance of truth or fidelity, upon my honor, really and truly. – a phrase in which children express their honour as in "I did sweep the floor, honor bright"
• Hoo – How – as "Hoo mun a gize mesel? = How can I disguise nyself?"
• Hoody – The hooded crow ^[2]
• Hooevah – However
• Hooky – Truancy
• Hooky-mat – A mat made from rags and clippings
• Hoolet – An owl ^[2]
• Hooly, Hewly – Softly, gently ^[2]
• Hoond – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hoond – A hound
  • Hoond – A low fellow.
• Hoond-trail – A drag hunt
• Hoony – Houndy, gaunt, ghostly ^[2]
• Hoop – The boy's wooden hoop only is a Hoop – see Whirligig – For a boy's iron hoop
• Hoos or Hoose – House
• Hoose-top – House roof
• Hoot, Hoots, Hout, Howt, Hut, Huts – An expression of impatience ^[2]
• Hope – A side valley in the dales – as Hedleyhope.
• Hoppins – A travelling fair, an annual festival, also called by others The Hoppings – (Hopping or dancing was the main amusement, hence the name. In Newcastle the Easter hoppin was the most famous but it was replaced in 1882 by the Temperance Festival on the Town Moor which takes place in Race Week. Known as The Hoppins it is claimed to be the largest in the world. – From the Old English word Hoppen meaning fair. – also see the local song, the Swalwell Hopping by John Selkirk
• Hor – Her
• Hord – Heard -as "Aa hord him = I heard him"
• Horf – Half
• Horney Tram – Mining term – A bogie used down a pit with an iron pin two feet long on each corner to stop goods from falling off ^[3]
• Horntop – Old saying – "as slaa (slow) as a horntop" ^[3]
• Horry – Hurry
• Horse-Styen – A mounting stone, for mounting a horse
• Horsell – Herself
• Hort – To hurt – as "He's horten his heed"
• Hostman – see Fitter – The former name for a Fitter – The agent of the shipping port who sells and loads the produce of a colliery ^[2]
• Hotch – To shake with laughter – as "Aa fairly hotch'd agyen" ^[2]
• Hotes, Hoats – Hush, Whisht – "Hoats, lad!" ^[3]
• Hot-Trod – A Border custom in which a wisp of straw or tow was set on fire and carried on a spear as a signal to every man to follow ir – originally a pursuit of thieves and marauders
• Hough – The back of the knee -as "Cruck yorhough = Sit down"
• Hougher – Public whipper or executioner in Newcastle – the name originates from one of his early functions which was to cut the houghs of swine which roamed the streets of the town. In 1827 he was receiving a yearly salary of £4.6s.8d ^[6])
• Houlet – see Hoolet – The owl
• Housin – The capability of holding a lot -as "He has a good housin for drink = He could drink a lot"
• Hout – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hout – see Hoit – A contemptible person
  • Hout – see Hoot – An expression of impatience
• Hove – Threw
• Hoven – Thrown away
• How – A salutation -as "How there, marra? – followed by the reply – What cheer, hinney"
• Howay – A word with more than one meaning
  • Howay, Away – Come on – as "Howay and get some Doctor's stuff, For fear of Hydrophobie" from Hydrophobie (song)|Hydrophobie by Robert Emery (songwriter)|Robert Emery
  • Howay, H'way the lads – chanted at football matches
• Howdy – A midwife – Old saying "Thoo's niver been weshed since the howdie weshed th'"
• Howk – To dig -as "He's howkin taties = He's digging up potatoes"
• Howky – The old name for a pitman (replaced early in the 19th century by the word Geordie)
• Howt – see Hoot – An expression of impatience
• Hoy – To throw -as "Hoy a stone = Throw a stone"
• Hoyin oot time – Closing time for a pub
• Hoyin Skyul – A gathering to play pitch and toss
• Hoy-oot – Still sometimes heard at Tyneside weddings – The wedding couple are supposed to throw coppers to the boys and girls who are calling ("Hi! canny man hoy a Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|ha'penny oot, Ye'll see some fun thor is ne doot, Where ivvor Aa gan ye'll heor them shoot, Hi! canny man hoy a ha'penny oot" – from Hi, canny man|Hi, canny man, hoy a ha'penny oot by the famous Geordie comedian Harry Nelson
• Huchster – A small tradesman
• Huddock – The cabin of a keel boat
• Huel – A delicate or ailing person, an out-of-the-way (and extraordinary) person ^[2]
• Huff – To offend -as "He's tyken the huff = He is offended"
• Hug – To carry with a laboured effort ^[2]
• Hule-Doo – A figure made of gingerbread or dough and rolled flat – Currants are used for eyes. Specially made at Christmas, hence the name Yule – see Yule-Babby
• Hullabaloo – A tumult
• Hully – The perforated box in which fishermen keep lobsters and crabs in a live state ^[2]
• Humel, Homil – To break off, break down (e.g. road chippings, or flailing barley) ^[2]
• Humlick, Whumlick – Common hemlock ^[2]
• Hump – A word with more than one meaning
  • Hump – Temper -as "He's getten his hump up = He has a bad temper"
  • Hump – To carry
• Hundert – Hundred
• Hunk – A large piece – "A hunk o' breed = A large slice (or piece) of bread"
• Hunkers – see Honkers – Haunches
• Hup – Whip ^[3]
• Hupstitch = Every now and again – as "She bakes every hupstitch" ^[3]
• Hussey – see Huzzy
• Hut – A word with several meanings
  • Hut – see Hat – Hit (past participle) – as "Aa hat him, he hut me" or "Aa'd hutten him afore he'd ony chance ti fend" ^[2]
  • Hut – (verb) – To heap – as "We've hutten wor tormits = we've stacked our turnips" – (noun) – a heap – see also Muck-Hut
  • Hut, Huts – see Hoot – An expression of impatience
• Hutch – A treasure chest, usually applied to the town treasure chest that in Newcastle is called the toon hutch.
• Huz – Us ^[2]
• Huzzy – Abbreviated form of housewife – not a term of reproach except when an adjective is added as in brazen huzzy.
• Hwick – Quick, alive ^[2]
• Hwickens, Quickens – The underground stems of creeping grass and many weeds ^[2]
• Hyem – Home – as "Aa'm gannin hyem" – a word of Scandinavian origin

• I – In – used before consonant – before a vowel it becomes iv -as "Where i' the warId are ye gannin ? Aa's iv a horry = Where are you going, Im in a hurry"
• I says – I said
• Iccle, Ikil – An icicle ^[2]
• Icehoggle – An icicle ^[2]
• Idle – Immoral -as "An idle huzzy = an immoral woman"
• Ikil – see Iccle
• Ilka see Ika ^[2]
• Ill-fard – Ugly-looking – (see Fard)
• Ill-twined – Peevish, bad-tempered ^[2]
• Imp – A mischievous child
• Impitent – impudent -as "Ye impitent faggit = You impudent thing"
• Inatween – Between – as "Inatween the cairt an' the barn"
• Inby – A direction ^[2]
• Indicated – Addicted ^[2]
• Ingate – Mining term – The way in (e.g. from shaft to seam) ^[2]
• In-Bye – Within – a mining term meaning in the workings of a pit – inward from the shaft
• InseedD – Inside
• Insense – Make to understand, render sensible, inform – as "You didn't insense me what your name is, did you?" ^[3]
• Insight – Household goods
• Insteed – Instead
• Intake – Land taken in and fenced
• Inti, Intiv – Into
• Intid – Into it -0 as "Are ye comin oot o' the hoose or gan intid?" ^[2]
• Intiv – see Inti^[2]
• Inunder – Under, below
• Is – Is – as "Aa is" or "Aa's"
• Is ta – Art thou, are you ^[2]
• Italian Iron – Better known as a 'tallion iron – is an iron tube about 6 in. long and pointed at one end. Into the tube is inserted a heater. It is used to make the waves in the frills of old women's caps ^[3]
• Iv – Of, meaning in -as "Not reet iv his head = Not right in the head"
• Ivery – see Ivory
• Ivin – see Hiven – Ivy ^[2]
• Ivor – Ever
• Ivory – Every
• Izle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Izle – A live ember of wood, the embers of a fire izzard – the letter 'z' ^[2]
  • Izle – An archaic name for the letter 'z' ^[2]

• Jaa – A word with more than one meaning
  • Jaa – (noun) – The jaw
  • Jaa – (verb) – To talk
• Jaa-breaker – A long word
• Jaap – see Jarp
• Jack – A coat of armour (C16th) made by sewing iron plates to a riding coat
• Jack Hack – Mining – A heavy pick, weighing about 7 lbs., with head about 18 in. in length with round head and sharp point – see also HACK^[3]
• Jacks – Mining term – Large fissures or cracks in the roof of a mine ^[2]
• Jade – A worn out horse, a useless woman
• Jag – To prick, to peck
• Jaisterin – Swaggering, gesticulating ^[2]
• Jannock, Janic – see Jenick
• Jap – (past participle of) Jump – as "He jap the burn" ^[2]
• Jarp – To strike
• Jarping (or Jaaping) Eggs – At Easter a north country custom – One holds an egg and challenges anyone to strike it with another egg. The first broken egg is the spoil of the conqueror
• Jarra – The town of Jarrow
• Jawed – Talked
• Jeddart Laa – Jedburgh justice meaning "Hang first, try afterwards" – The kind of rough justice prevalent on both sides of the Anglo-Scottish border|Border
• Jee, Jeey – Bent, atwist ^[2]
• Jemmisees, Jimmer – Hinges – (Jimmies is still the term applied to a pair of hand-cuffs) ^[2]
• Jenick, Jannock, Janic – Genuine, honest ^[2]
• Jenkin – Mining term – A passage driven in a pillar of coal; or a slice taken off a pillar ^[2]
• Jenny-flucker – A flounder ^[2]
• Jenny-Hoolet – The tawny owl ^[2]
• Jenny-Spinner – The daddy-long-legs ^[2]
• Jew – To appear sensible of pain, but always used in the negative – as "He never jewed it" ^[2]
• Jimmer – see Jemmisees
• Jit – Jet – as "Black as jit" ^[2]
• Jolly Miller – A round game. The players sing and when they reach the last word *which is "grab", the odd-one-out has to grab another ^[3]
• Jonty – John
• Jook, Jouk – To duck one's head so as to avoid a blow – as "When thoo sees a cannon baal coming, jook, Jimmy, jook"
• Joon – June
• Jorms – Germs
• Jouk – see Jook
• Jowl – A word with more than one meaning
  • Jowl – To strike a wall in a coal pit as a signal – When pitmen are imprisoned by an accident they jowl to show their position to the rescuers
  • Jowl – The flesh on a pig's jaws
• Jud – Mining term – The portion of coal at which the hewer is working, kirved, nicked, and ready to be brought down ^[2] (Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson) ^[7]
• Juggery Pokery – Underhand dealing or trickery
• Jumle – To jumble – (as in many similar words the b is silent)
• Jumly – Muddy -as "Jumly water" ^[3]
• Jye, Ajye – Wry and awry, crooked ^[2]
• Jye – To turn aside ^[2]

• Kaa – To drive, to impel – as "Kaa me an' aa'll kaa thee = One good turn deserves another"
• Kaa-Waa – Crokked, twisted, awry ^[2]
• Kaff – A word with several meanings
  • Kaff – Chaff ^[2]
  • Kaff – A calf ^[2]
  • Kaff-Yard – A calf-yard ^[2]
• Kail, Kyel – Soup, broth. In the 18th century they often put raisins in the broth which was then called spice-kyel
• Kail-Garth – A kitchen garden, any cottage garden ^[2]
• Kail-Pot – A crock to boil cabbage – a common proverb is "The kail-pot's callin' the yetlin' smutty" (Yetlin = small pot)
• Kaingy, Keengy – Cross-tempered, irritable, uneasy ^[2]
• Kairn, Kirn – Churcn (both noun and verb) ^[2]
• Kairn-Milk -Butter-milk ^[2]
• Kame – SEE CAM- An earthen dyke
• Kamsteery, Kamstarie – Wild, perverse, unmanageable – as "A kamsteery horse" ^[2]
• Kavel – A word with more than one meaning
  • Kavel, Kevek, Kyevel – Mining term – The ballot by which the working places in a pit are fixed (Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson) ^[7]
  • Kavel – The strips of tillage land in the common field ^[2]
• Keav – To bounce and bang about – as "He gans keavin aboot, dingin iverybody ower = He goes bouncing about knocking everyone over" ^[2]
• Kecks, Kelks, Kex – Hollow-stalked plants in general, but especially the cow-parsnip ^[2]
• Keek – A word with more than one meaning
  • Keek – Soup eaten by poor people -as "He was browt up on keek"
  • Keek – To peep -as "I just took a keek in ti' find oot what was on"
• Keeker – Overlooker at a pit whose main job is to examine the coals as they come out of a pit
• Keel – A word with several meanings
  • Keel – A large boat for carrying coal on the Tyne. – (It is the first English word to be written down – by Gildas the 6th century British historian) ^[6])
  • Keel Bully – A comrade on a keel
  • Keel Raa, Keel Row – A traditional Tyneside Song, "The Keel Row, first appears in written form in a manuscript book around 1770 belonging to the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries, but is probably very much older. ("O, weel may the keel row, The keel row, the keel row, O weel may the keel row That my laddie's in")
  • Keel-Deeter – A keel cleaner – a privilege of the wives and daughters of keelmen who kept the sweepings for their fires
  • Keelman – One of the crew of a keel
• Keely-Vine – A pencil (from keel, a soft red shale) ^[2]
• Keengy – see Kaingy
• Keeping – In health, "How are you keeping? = How are you"
• Keeps – see Keps
• Keepy – Keep – as the children's expression in the game as "lossy, seeky, findy. Keepy" to claim the right to keep the article
• Keern – A grain of corn – as "A keern o' wheat" ^[2]
• Keind – Kind
• Keks – Trousers
• Keld – The smooth part of a stretch of water (The opposite from Caal qv where the surface is driven by the wind) ^[2]
• Kelk, Kelker – A severe blow ^[2]
• Kelks – see Kecks ^[2]
• Kellick – Unfledged bird ^[3]
• Ken – To know or to remember
• Kenna – see Ken – as "Diz thoo kenna? = Dost thou (or do you) know ?" ^[3]
• Kenspreckled – Well known, marked, conspicuous ^[3] – as "Thon chep wi' the white hat's kenspeckle eneuf"
• Kep – To catch something falling
• Keppy Ba' – Handball – a ball that is thrown and caught – (see also Baal)
• Keps – Mining term – The catches or rests on which the cage is caught – (often written keeps) ^[2]
• Kerb – see Kirve
• Kern – The end of harvest, celebrated with a Kern-supper
• Kern Doll – see Corn Doll – A sheaf of corn dressed to appear like a rude human figure ^[2]
• Kern-Supper – A celebratory meal at the end of the harvest
• Kersen, Kirsen, Korsen – To christen ^[2]
• Kerve – see Kirve
• Keslup, Keslop – The stomach
• Ket – A word with more than one meaning
  • Ket – A sweet or something that is nice
  • Ket – Stinking, unhealthy, diseased – as "Ket meat = deed ket = Dead meeat = meat from animals dying a natural death" ^[2]
• Kevel, see Kavel
• Kex – see Kecks
• Ki, Kiv – Quoth
• Kibble – Mining – A big iron tub, for filling with rubbish, in sinking a shaft
• Kid – A child.
• Kidda or Kiddar – A word with more than one meaning
  • Kidda or Kiddar – A friendly term of address applied to children
  • Kidda or Kiddar – Slang, one guilty of a leg pull.
• Kiddy – A son, a native – as "An' shew what noted kiddies frae Newcassel toon hes flit, For it's a' wis been a canny place, an' sae will it yet" from The Newcassel Worthies by William “Willie” Armstrong
• Killen – (past participle of) Killed ^[2]
• Kink-hoast, Kin-cough – The hopping-cough ^[2]
• Kipper – A kipper was once a smoked or dried salmon. In tne 18th century it was used in the north for a kippered herring – since then it has come into general use nationally.
• Kirn – see Kairn – Churcn (both noun and verb)
• Kirsen – see Kersen
• Kirve, Kerve, Kerb – Mining term – To cut, especially in hewing coal ^[2] (Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson) ^[7]
• Kirsent, Kizzen, Kizzent- To dry up by overcooking – as "She's kizzened the pot"
• Kist or Cist – A word with several meanings
  • Kist or Cist – A box or chest -as "A kist o' draas = A chest of drawers"
  • Kist – Coffin Kist – A hearse – ("Prehistoric burials are sometimes found in regularly made boxes of stone, four or more of which are set or edge, whilst one or more form a close cover or lid. These are known as kists by the country people and as cists by the archeologist." – from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4) ^[6])
  • Kist – Deputy's Kist – The chest used by the deputy in a coal pit to keeps his tools, plate nails, brattice nails, and other requirements
• Kit – A small tub for washing in, used by pitmen
• Kite or Kyte – The stomach or belly – as "A pain in the kyte" or as "Though they blair'd till their kites were byeth empty and sair" from The Amphitrite by Robert Gilchrist (Poet)|Robert Gilchrist
• Kitlish – Uncertain ^[2]
• Kittle – Tickle, or awkward to manage – "A kittle cough = One that tickles" or "Kittle the coal = Stir (or poke) the fire"
• Kitty – A word with several meanings
  • Kitty – A prison, a Policeman's lock-up
  • Kitty – A common fund or pool in some games
  • Kitty – A short straw, about 6 in. long, filled with gunpowder, and used by miners in firing ^[3]
• Kitty Cat – see Tipcat – A child’s game ^[3]
• Kiv – see Ki
• Kizzen – see Kirsent
• Knaa, Knaw – Know
• Knackered – Tired, worn out
• Knackers – Two flat pieces of stone or hard wood charred at the ends and used as castanets
• Knacky – Clever, cunning, smart ^[2]
• Knakky-kneed – Knock-kneed
• Knaw – see Knaa
• Kned – (past participle of) Knead ^[2]
• Knedding Cake – A cake kneaded with lard or butter and baked on a girdle
• Knocky Towsaers – see Folly Tar – A term in a marbles game
• Knooled – Dispirited
• Knot-Berry, Knout-Berry – see Cloud-Berry – The ground mulberry ^[2]
• Koondy or Cundy – A sewer, or the entrance to a sewer such as a gulley
• Korsen – see Kersen
• Korsher – see Kurtcher ^[2]
• Kow, Cow – A local sprite, e.g. The Hedley Kow ^[2]
• Kurtcher, Korsher – A kerchief, once the common form of the word ^[2]
• Kwoal, Kwol The pronunciation of coal ^[2]
• Kyd – (past participle of ) Kithe qv ^[2]
• Kye – A cow or kine – as "The limmer thieves o' Liddesdale, Wad na leave a kye in the hail countrie: But an we gie them the caud steel, Our gear they'll reive it a' awaye." from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
• Kyek – Cake
• Kyel – see Kail – Soup, broth ^[2]
• Kyevel – see Kavel – The strips of tillage land in the common field ^[2]
• Kyte – see Kite
• Kythe – To tell of, to discover ^[2]

• Laa – A word with several meanings
  • Laa – Low -as "He wis varry laa doon – He was in very low spirits"
  • Laa, Law – Law, liberty, freedom
  • Laa – A hill
• Laawz – (Loose) -To finish work – as "What time diz thoo laawz? – What time do you finish work" (Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson) ^[7])
• Lab – To devour by pecking or plucking – as "The cushats is labbin the young bagies = The pigeons are pecking the young turnip" ^[2]
• Labber – To dabble and splash in water ^[2]
• Lace – A word with more than one meaning
  • Lace – To mix spirits with tea
  • Lace – To thrash -as "Aall lace ye = I'll give you a good hiding"
• Lacky – Elastic
• Lad – A sweetheart -as "She wis gan a waak wiv hor lad = She was out walking with her sweetheart"
• Lads – A word with more than one meaning
  • Lads – A group of comrades – not always young people
  • Lads – The players of Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United
• Lads-alive – An exclamation like man-alive
• Laelok, Layloc – Lilac – the colour – as "Hor bedgoon is laelock" – from the song Cushie Butterfield by George "Geordie" Ridley ^[8]
• Laggans – The pieces of wood which go to form a 'tub' ^[3]
• Laid-In – A mining term meaning a colliery has ceased working because the coal is exhausted
• Laidley, Laidly – Loathsome – see also The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh
• Laidly Worm – see The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh – A ballad about the Old English King, Ida of Bernicia|Ida, who lived in Bamburgh Castle. (probably) written by Duncan Frasier around 1270, the idea possibly copied from an Sagas of Icelanders|Icelandic Saga ^[9]
• Laik – To play – (from the Yorshire Lake)
• Laird – A landowner living upon and cultivating his own land
• Lairn – see Larn – To teach ^[2]
• Lairstone, Larestone – A tombstone ^[2]
• Laith – Loathe or unwilling -as "Aa wad be laith ti gan win him = I wouldn't go with him"
• Lakin' – Playing (from Yorkshire Lakin') ^[2]
• Laleekin – Boisterous: "A greet laleekin animal" ^[2]
• Lang – A word with several meanings
  • Long – Long – Anglo Saxon word.
  • Lang Cart – Long cart – a two-wheeled hay-cart, somewhat between an ordinary cart and a trolley.
  • Lang last – At last
  • Lang neb – A prominent nose -as "Keep yor lang-neb oot o' this = mind your own business"
  • Lang settle – A long seat like a form, but with back and arms
  • Lang Syne – Long since, long ago
• Lap – A word with more than one meaning
  • Lap – To wrap – "Has thou lapped it up?" ^[3]
  • Lap, Lup – (past participle of) Leap ^[2]
• Larestone – see Lairstone
• Larn – To teach, to learn – Old English word laeran = to teach – NOTE – When a Geordie uses the word larn for teach, it is not a misuse of the English word "learn" as often thought; the word is derived from the Anglo Saxon word laeran, meaning "to teach".
• Lashins – Plenty -as "Lashins o' meat and drink = Plenty of food and drink"
• Lass – A word with more than one meaning
  • Lass – A sweetheart, woman or young girl. – from a Scandinavian word Laskr.
  • Lass – As in "Wor Lass" – my wife
  • Last Bat – A game of tiggy – when children are parting on their way home they try to give a bat without being touched themselves
• Lat – A lath ^[3]
• Lave – The rest, the remainder – as "Put him in amang the lave" ^[2]
• Laverock – Skylark
• Lavvy – Lavatory
• Law – A word with more than one meaning
  • Law – A hill
  • Law – see LAA – Law, libery, freedom
• Lay In – Mining – "To 'lay in' a pit, or lay it idle = to leave off working it, as when it becomes exhausted of coals"
• Layloc – see Laelok
• Layt – Late
• Leadeater – Indiarubber, (an eraser) ^[2]
• Leal – Faithful, honest ^[2]
• Leam – To separate, as a ripe nut from its husk – as "It leams well" or "A brown leamer = A ripe hazelnut" ^[2]
• Learn – (pronounced larn) – see Larn
• Leazes – Stinted grass pastures belonging to the town – the name is still found in many Northumbrian towns such as Castle Leazes in Newcastle, Shaftoe Leazes in Hexham and Heather Leazes in Warkworth, Northumberland|Warkworth ^[6])
• Leef – see Leuf
• Leep – To parboil, to blanch food ^[2]
• Leesh, Leish, Lish, Leeshin – Lithe, full of youthful vigour – as "He's a leeshin chep" ^[2]
• LEET – Light -as "Blaa the leet oot = Blow out the light" – or as "Cheer up, ma hinny! leet thy pipe, And take a blast o' backy" from Bob Cranky's Adieu by John “Jack” Shield
• Leetnin – Daybreak ^[2]
• Leet-Ship – A ship in ballast ^[2]
• Leif – Life
• Leish – Lithe, full of youthful vigour – ('O wha's like my Johnnie, Sae leish, sae blithe, sae bonnie? He's foremost 'mang the mony Keel lads o' coaly Tyne; He'll set or row sae tightly Or, in the dance sae sprightly, He'll cut and shuffle slightly, 'Tis true, were he nae mine." from the traditional Tyneside Song, "The Keel Row)
• Leister – A salmon spear used by poachers
• Lennard – Linnet – the bird ^[2]
• Lepper – A slight roughness on the surface of water ^[2]
• Lercal – Local
• Lerruz – Let us
• Leuf, Lyev, Leef, Lufe, Loof – The palm of the hand – as "If ye'll scart maw leuf, I'll claw yor elbow" ^[2]
• Leuk – To look
• Leuks-Tha – An expression to gain attention (politely 'excuse me') – like the Welsh "Look you!'
• Liberty – Leave, permission ^[3]
• Library – A book from a library is called just that and not a "library book" – as "Hes thoo getten a lib'ry? = Have you got a library book"
• Lick – A word with several meanings
  • Lick – A small quantity
  • Lick – A sword
  • Lick – A sharp blow with the fist or with a stick ^[2]
• Lick and a promise – Local saying – a cursory wash
• Lift – To steal – Euphemism for theft when applied to cattle rustling on the Anglo-Scottish border|Border
• Liftin – Moving with life, full of – "His claes wis liftin wi' varmin = His clothes were full of insects"
• Ligganies – A word used by boys when playing out their last marbles – as "Them's mi ligganies = They are my last marbles" ^[3]
• Liggie, Liggy – see Penka – Marble – also as the song "Wor Geordie's lost his penka#Recordings|Wor Geordie's lost his liggie"
• Liggy – A small ball, as the type used in 'trippet-and-quoit'^[2]
• Lignies – Quoits made of lignum vitae wood, used in the game 'Spell and Nur.' Also, a word used by boys when playing out their last marbles. "Them's mi ligganies" means his last, all he has ^[3]
• Like – Likely – as "Like to fall = Likely to fall (or nearly falling)" ^[3]
• Limber – see Limmer
• Limbers – Mining term – Shafts of a 'tub' down the mine, which are made in one piece and detachable
• Limmer, Limber – Supple, treacherous – as "The limmer thieves o' Liddesdale, Wad na leave a kye in the hail countrie: But an we gie them the caud steel, Our gear they'll reive it a' awaye." from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
• Limmers – The shafts of a cart ^[2]
• Ling – Heather, the heaths Erica tatralis and Erica cinerea L
• Linins – Underpants – or Pitmen's drawers, fastened at the knee by strings
• Links – Sandy grass covered land near the sea shore. – (E.g. Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth Links, Whitley Bay|Whitley Links. Now often applied to golf courses) ^[6])
• Linn – Strictly the deep pool at the base of a waterfall but sometimes applied to the cascade itself
• Lintie – A word with more than one meaning
  • Lintie – The willow wren
  • Lintie – Someone who is quick -"As quick as a lintie = Very quick"
• Linty – Flaxen
• Lippen – To depend on, or trust to a person to perform a certain work – as "I lippen on him doing it = I trust him to do it" ^[3]
• Lisk – Thigh ^[3]
• List – Vigour, energy -as "Aa henna the list ti dee'd = I haven't the energy to do it"
• Load – A word with more than one meaning
  • Load – As much as can be carried on the back of a pack-horse
  • Load – also a lot – a REET LOAD – "He taaks a reet load = He talks nonsense or a load of rubbish" – or" Loads o' money = Lots of money"
• Loak, Loke, Lock – A small indefinite quantity ^[2]
• Loanin or Lonnen – A word with more than one meaning
  • Loanin or Lonnen – A lane or narrow road – (as Milecastle 6#Turret 6B|Two Ball Lonnen in Newcastle)
  • Loanin or Lonnen – Originally a sheltered place where cows were gathered for milking (now almost obsolete)
• Lock – see Loak
• Loggerhead – A coloured butterfly, a Large moth ^[3]
• Loke – see Loak
• Lolly – The tongue -as "Oppen thy gob hinny and put out thy lolly"
• Lonnen – see Loanin
• Loof – see Leuf
• Look – see Leuk
• Loopy – Insane, daft
• Loose – see Laawz – Finish work (Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson) ^[7]
• Lop – A flea – see also Penny Lop
• Loppen, Luppen – (past participle of) Loop, to leap ^[2]
• Loppered, Loppert – Coagulated, curdled ^[2]
• Loppit – Sour milk, curd milk ^[3]
• Lops and lice – Hips and haws, name given by children ^[3]
• Lorn – Learn
• Lossy – Lost, of an article – a children's expression as "Lossy, seeky, findy. Keepy" to claim the right to keep the article
• Lough – (pronounced Loff) – A lake – all the Ioughs in Northumberland are small
• Loup – see LOWP
• Louping Stone – see Lowping Stone
• Love Begot – Born out of wedlock ^[3]
• Low – A flame, a light – as "Piece o' low = Part of a candle" ^[2]
• Low rope – Hempen rope steeped in tar, to burn as a torch
• Lowe – A light
• Lowen, Lowin, Lownd – Calm, still (of weather) ^[2]
• Lowp or Loup – To leap or jump. – "When I was young and lusty, I could loup a dyke; But now at five and sixty, Cannot do the like. Sair fail'd hinny, Sair fail'd now, Sair fail'd hinny, Sin' I kend thou." from Auld Man tae the Oak Tree, a traditional Geordie song, author unknown
• Lowping Stone – A mounting block for horsemen
• Lowpy Dyke – Applied to sheep when given to leap over fences, and to a person who has lost self-restraint ^[2]
• Lowpy-Lang-Lonnen – Leap-frog
• Lowse – A word with more than one meaning
  • Lowse – Finishing time -as "Howway lads, it's lowse = Time gentlemen"
  • Lowse – Loose -as "Lowse winda shutters = Loose window shutters"
• Lozen – A pane of glass ^[2]
• Luff – see Leuf
• Lug – A word with more than one meaning
  • Lug – Ear.
  • Lug, Lug Worm – The thick, hairy sand worm, Lumbricus marinus used for bait for white fish ^[2]
• Luik – look – as "For greet an' sma', fishwives an' a', Luik' up tiv her wi' veneration" from Newcassel Props by William Oliver (songwriter)|William Oliver
• Lum – Chimney
• Lump, LUMPING – To accept a situation or decision although you do not like it – as "Bite the bridle and bear it = Accepting something disagreeable, but under sufferance" is a local saying ^[3]
• Lyev – see Leuf

• Ma – A word with more than one meaning
  • Ma – Mother
  • Ma – My
  • Ma waud – My word, exclamation of surprise- as "My ward, thoo'll get wrang"
• Maak, Mawk, Moak – A maggot ^[2]
• Maaky – Maggoty, decomposing – as "A maaky salmon"
• Maalin – see Malin – A type of mop
• Maar sabg – see Sang – An exclamation ^[2]
• Mac' – Make
• Mac' 'N' Tak – A native of County Durham or Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland – see Mackem
• Mackem – A native of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland – to shipbuilders – from "We mackem, ye tackem"
• Mad-het – Very hot
• Mae, May – More in number – as "The mae pairt on them" ^[2]
• Maeg – see Meag – A hand
• Maggy – The magpie ^[2]
• Magpies – Nickname for Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United Football Club who play in balck and white
• Mags – Magpies – a Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland supporters' term for a Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United fan
• Maik – see Meg – A Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny (a COIN)
• Mailkin – see Malin
• Maimy – Diminutive of "Mary"
• Mair – More – as "If she didn't like it, There's the mair for me" from the Geordie song "Broom Buzzems" by William Purvis (Blind Willie)
• Mairt – A word with more than one meaning
  • Mairt – A derisive term for a tall person – as "Ye greet muckle mairt"
  • Mairt, Mart – A bullock bought by two or more persons – When it was later slaughtered, the proceeds of the sale were divided amongst the purchasers/owners ^[2]
• Maisled, Maiselt – Mixed up, confused in mind ^[2]
• Maislin – A blockhead, a stupid, a simpleton
• Mak gam – Make game, make fun of someone ^[3]
• Mak sharpe – Be sharp, look sharp
• Malin, Maalin, Myeln, Mailkin – A kind of mop made with clouts fastened to a long stick ^[2]
• Man – A word with several meanings
  • Man – A husband
  • Man – Frequently used at the end of a sentence – - even when talking to a woman -as "Divvent dee that man – or – Howay man"
  • Man – Must – as "Aa man away noo" ^[2]
• Manadge-Man – An itinerant trader -see Scotch Draper
• Mang – A word with more than one meaning
  • Mang – Feeding stuff for dogs or pigs ^[2]
  • Mang, Mangst – see Amangst – Among ^[2]
• Manna, Munna – Must not – as "Ye manna let him gan" ^[2]
• Mark – A stamdard – as "Dressed up to the mark = extreme fashion (or up to the nines)"
• Marra – A word with more than one meaning
  • Marra – Mate, comrade, a work-mate, – as "As me an' me marra was gannin' to wark, We met wi' the devil, it was I' the dark" from The Collier’s Rant – John Bell (Junior)|Bell's Rhymes. 1812, p. 35.) ^[19]
  • Marra – To match, to equal – as – "Newcassell 'ill nivor find owt like its marrow = find anything like its equal – from Joe Wilson (Geordie singer)|Joe Wilson's Songs. – Thomas Allan (publisher)|Thomas Allan’s Collection. 1891. p.185) ^[2]
• Marrow – see Marra
• Marrowks – An odd thing of a pair
• Mart – see Mairt
• Marygowlon – The corn-marigold ^[2]
• Mash – Brew of tea
• Mask – To infuse tea or make -as "Wor lass's ganna mask the tye = My wife is going to make (a pot of) the tea"
• Masslinjem, Masselgem, – Maslin, wheaten meal and rye meal mixed for brown bread ^[2]
• Matterless – Immaterial, of no matter – as "It's matterless" ^[3]
• Mavies – It may be, perhaps ^[2]
• Maw – My – as "keep yor feet still, Geordey lad, An' dinnet send maw bonny dreams away" from Keep yor feet still Geordie hinny by Joe Wilson (Geordie singer)|Joe Wilson
• Mawk – see Maak
• Mawzy – A speckled hen ^[2]
• May – see Mae – More in number
• May Cat – A cat born in May – An old superstition that a Cat born in May will suck infants' breaths, if allowed to climb up into the creddle – as "Nobody will keep a May-cat" ^[3]
• Maybies, Mebbies or Mewies – Perhaps -as "Maybies aa wullgan = Perhaps I will go"
• Mazer – A wonder, an eccentric – as – "Aye, wor Nannie's a mazer, and a mazer she'll remain, As lang as aa leeve, aa winnet forget, the day we lost the train" from "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" by Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong ^[20]
• Me – My -as "Me aan fireside = My own fireside"
• Meag, Myeg, Maeg, Meg – A hand – as "Keep yor clarty megs off the butter" ^[2]
• Mean – To be pitied – as – "She is much to mean" ^[2]
• Mebbes – see Maybies
• Mebby, Mebbies, Mevvy, Mevvies – May be, perhaps – as "Mebbies aye, mebbies not" ^[2]
• Meg – A word with several meanings
  • Meg – A Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny (a COIN)
  • Meg – see Meag – A hand
  • Meg, Meggie – Margaret
• Meggy-Monyfeet – The chocolate-coloured centipede ^[2]
• Meislle, Micell – To disappear gradually – as "It micell'd away" ^[2]
• Mell – A word with more than one meaning
  • Mell – A wooden mallet as used by masons
  • Mell – To meddle – as "Ye'll get wrang if ye mell wi'd"
• Mell Doll – see Corn Doll – A sheaf of corn dressed to appear like a rude human figure ^[2]
• Mell Supper – Formerly the great festival of harvest home ^[2]
• Meng – To mix – as "Meng corn = Mixed corn" ^[2]
• Mense – A word with more than one meaning
  • Mense – (verb) – To decorate – as "Mense the winda = Paint the window" ^[3]
  • Mense – Politeness, kindness – as "Mense is a great thing in this country = (re funeral extravagance as a token of respect)" ^[3]
• Mensful – Gracious, comely – as "We'll set oot the best ware for the tea; it'll be mair menseful like" ^[2]
• Mesel – Myself -as "Aa'd a bin there mesel – I would have been there myself"
• Messit, Messan – A half-bred little dog – as "The best watch is a messit-dog in iv a hoose" ^[2]
• Mettle – Temper – as "He's ower sharp mettle = He's too hasty tempered" ^[3]
• Mevvies, Mevvy – see Mebby
• Mewies – see Maybies
• Mezel – see Mizzle
• Mica – To say hard things to anyone – as "God forgi' me if aw misca ye" ^[2]
• Micell – see Meislle
• Mickle or Muckle – Much (not little as is often thought) – the saying should be "Many a pickle makes a muckle"
• Midden – A dunghill or heap – later an outside toilet. – (The "Tynemouth#The Black Middens|Black Middens" were dangerous rocks near Tynemouth#The Black Middens|Tynemouth pier) ^[6])
• Midden-Crow – The carion crow ^[2]
• Middenstead – Ash-heap ^[3]
• Midgy, Mistress – A kind of lamp used by putter lads. It was about 8 inches high and 3 wide, with open front, like a wooden boxe with a hole at the bottom to insert the candle and another at the top to let out the heat. It has long since become obsolete.
• Mind – A word with several meanings
  • Mind – Remember, "Mind me on = Remind me"
  • Mind – Be sure – as "Mind ye dinna stop ower lang = Be sure you don't stop too long"
  • Mind – Might, may, "Aa've a good mind ti clash yorjaa = ! feel like hitting you on the chin"
  • Mind – A word to end a sentence – with no particular meaning, a kind of spoken full stop
• Min't – Minute, moment -as "Haad on a min't = Wait a moment"
• Mint – To hint – as "She oney minted at it" ^[2]
• Mirk -Dark – as "Aa canna see, it's se mirk" ^[2]
• Misdoot – To doubt, to suspect -as "Ye mevvies misdoot me = You perhaps doubt me"
• Misleard – Misleert – Ill-bred, ignorant ^[2]
• Missus – The Missus – the wife (or my wife)
• Mistached, Mistetched – Ill-taught, having learned bad habits – as "He's a misteched yen" ^[2]
• Mistress – A word with more than one meaning
  • Mistress – Mrs
  • Mistress – see Midgy – A lamp used in the mines
• Mixty-Maxty – A confused mixture ^[2]
• Mizzle – A word with several meanings
  • Mizzle, Mezel – A fine rain
  • Mizzle – (verb) To drizzle – as "It's mezelin' on o' rain"
  • Mizzle – To disappear
• Moak – see Maak – A maggot
• Moley Rat – The common mole ^[3]
• Mooler – To crumble, to moulder, to decay – as "The frost'll seun mooler the clods doon" ^[2]
• Moongin – Moaning, grumbling -as "He's elwis gan moongin aboot = He's always going around grumbling"
• Moonlight flit – When a tenant left with his belongings at night to avoid paying his rent
• Moony – The bird goldcrest ^[2]
• Moorhen – The female of the red grouse ^[2]
• Moose – Mouse
• Moot – A word with more than one meaning
  • Moot – A meeting. Hence Moot Hall, Newcastle
  • Moot Hall, Moot Hill – A meeting place, like the Moot hall|Moot Hall in Newcastle, where the Assizes are held – from the Old English meaning a low ring-shaped earthwork served as a moot hill or moot mound, where the elders would meet to take decisions
• Mooth – Damp and warm, humid – as "It's a mooth neet" ^[2]
• Moothy – Mouthy, talkative
• Moppy – A rabbit ^[2]
• Morn – Morrow, morning -as "He'll be there the morn"
• Mortalious – Mortal drunk – (Everybody who attends the Newcastle court and for that matter other police courts in the north, is familiar with the finely expressive word 'mortal ious'." – Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Aug. 8th, 1898.)^[6])
• Moss Hag – seee Hag – A geographic term
• Moss-Trooper – A Anglo-Scottish border|Border raider accustomed to cross the mosses of the march lands. (Moss-troopers were described as thieves and robbers in a Statute of Charles II of England|Charles II)
• Mot – The target in Pitch an' Toss
• Mote Hills – Hills with earthen ramparts. Derived from Motte-and-bailey castle|motte and bailey castle – ("The inhabitants of Redesdale and Tindale, accustomed to have their disputes settled, and themselves to sit as jurymen, upon the mote-hills at Harbottle or Elsdon, Northumberland|Elsdon, and at Wark on Tyne|Wark or Haltwhistle." from "John Hodgson (antiquary)#The History of Northumberland|A history of Northumberland" by John Hodgson (antiquary)|Rev John Hodgson, Clerk, M.R.S.L., Vicae of Kirkwhelpington|Welpington, Perpetual Curate of Jarrow with Heworth, Tyne and Wear|Heworth, Secretary to the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, &c. &c 1832) ^[5]
• Mou – see Mow – A pile of cut corn
• Mountiekittie – A children's game meaning "Mount the cuddie" – The players mount each other's backs shouting out Montiekittie, Montiekittie, one. two. Three
• Mow – Moment – as "Haad on a mow = Wait a moment"
• Mow, Mou – A pile of cut corn ^[2]
• Muck – A word with several meanings
  • Muck – Dirt, manure -as "There's nowt like muck"
  • Muck-Hack – A many pronged fork with the grains bent round, for dragging manure out of the stable or byre ^[2]
  • Muck Hut – A heap of manure
  • Muck up – To bungle a job -as "He's mucked the job up"
• Muckle see Mickle
• Mudge – To budge – as "Aa canna mudge 'd: it's ower nivvy" ^[2]
• Muffler – A scarf, previously a neckerchief or 'comforter'
• Mug – A word with several meanings
  • Mug – A face
  • Mug – A fool
  • Mug – A drinking vessel
• Mugger – Applied to a tinker or travelling hawker
• Mugger's Cuddy – Describing hard work -as "Aa's sweetin like a mugger's cuddy = I'm sweating like a tinker's horse"
• Muggles – Marbles
• Muggy – see Commony – A boy's marble made of baked clay ^[2]
• Mule – A mongrel boat, that is between a coble and a fishing-boat, with a sharp bow at both ends. Used exclusively for herring fishing ^[2]
• Mullerr – To crumble – as "Yor mullerin the breed" ^[2]
• Mun – Must -as "Hoo mun a gize mesel? = How can I disguise myself?" or "Aa mun he'd – I must have it" – and as "Fareweel, ma comely! aw mun gang" from Bob Cranky's Adieu by John “Jack” Shield
• Munna – see Manna – Must not
• Mussel-Scaup, Mussel-Ssappy – Mussel-bed ^[2]
• Must – Shall, should – as "Must I bring you''t, then? = Shall I bring it to you?" ^[3]
• Mutch – A woman's cap – as "Ye've toozlt a' me mutch, lad" ^[2]
• Mutha, Muther, Muthor – Mother – as "Aw wish thy Muther wad cum" – from Come Geordie ha'd the bairn by Joe Wilson (Geordie singer)|Joe Wilson
• My eye – Slang expression for nonsense, rubbish
• Myed – Made – as "Next Captain Starkey teuk his stick, And myed his final bow" from Newcassel Props by William Oliver (songwriter)|William Oliver
• Myeg – see Meag – A hand
• Myeken – Making
• Myeln – see Malin – A type of mop
• Myest – Most
• Myun – Moon

• Na or Nah – No
• Nack – To crack together two hard or resounding surfaces ^[2]
• Nackaad – Broken
• Nackey – Conceitedly clever ^[2]
• Nag – To worry with fault-finding -as "What are ye naggin on at?"
• Nah – see Na
• Naigs – Horses – as "Twas some time gane, they took our naigs, And left us eke an empty byre" from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
• Nanny, Canny Nanny – The stingless humble bee ^[2]
• Narki – Annoying
• Narkt – Annoyed -as "He was very narkt = He was very annoyed"
• Nash, Nesshe – Tender – as "Hard or nesshe" ^[2]
• Natter – To gossip in an unfriendly way
• Nattle – To rattle – as "What are ye nattlin there?" ^[2]
• Neb – Nose -as "Wet yor neb =- Take a drink"
• Nebby, Nebsy – Nosey, Having a shaper, impertinent and ill-natured manner: "A clarty, nebsy body" ^[2]
• Neck – Impudence -as "What a neck ye hev"
• Ned-Cake, Kned-Cake – Cake kneaded with butter, dripping or lard and generally baked on the girdle ^[2]
• Nee – No – as "I hev nee tatties = I have no potatoes" – or – "nee good luck" -But not as a word on its own
• Need-Fire – Fire obtained by rubbing two pieces of dry wood together ^[2]
• Neen – Nine
• Neenth – Ninth
• Neep – A turnip – as "Hoeing neeps" ^[2]
• Neest, Neist – Next ^[2]
• Neet – Night -as "The neet = Tonight" and "Keep yor feet still! Geordey, hinny, let's be happy for the neet" from Keep yor feet still Geordie hinny by Joe Wilson (Geordie singer)|Joe Wilson
• Neeze – To sneeze – as "He's elways neezin" ^[2]
• Neif – Hand – AS "A'll gi' tha my neif directly = I will give you my hand soon" – and Double neif = the clenched fist ^[3]
• Neist – see Neest
• Nell-kneed – Knock-kneed ^[2]
• Nenst – see Anenst – Over against ^[2]
• Ness – Geographical suffix for a strip of land projecting into a body of water – Sharpness Point is the only appearance of the suffix in either Northumberland. Tyne and Wear or County Durham|Durham ^[2]
• Netherin – Biting, blasting, shrivelling – as "A netherin wund = wind"
• Nettie – lavatory – For further details about this famous Geordie word see the paperback book "The Geordie Nettie" by Frank Graham.
• Neuk, Nyuk -Nook
• Nevel – A blow with the fist ^[2]
• Newcassell – Usually in the form "Canny Newcastle"
• Nicely – Well (as in health) – as "How are you?" reply "Nicely = varry canny (or aa canna compleean = complain)"
• Nick – A notch, a mark usually made on a stick -as "She has lost her nick- stick = She has lost her reckoning of time"
• Nicker – To neigh, to laugh hoarsely ^[2]
• Nick-stick – A stick on which nicks or notches were but in order to keep a reckoning – as "She has lost her nick-stick = Lost her reckoning of time" ^[2]
• Niffnaffs – Nick-nacks ^[3]
• Nigh – A word with more than one meaning
  • Nigh – Near, almost -as "Aa wis nigh lossin me hat = I almost lost my hat"
  • Nigh enuf – Adequate
• Nimmy – Counting-in rhymes recited in starting a round game ^[3]
• Nine – Used in a local simile – "He's like a nine with the tail cut off = He'd good good for nothing" ^[3]
• Nip – A word with more than one meaning
  • Nip – A pinch – It was once customary to give a person a nip when he first appeared in new clothes, calling out nip for new
  • Nip – A small quantity
• Nivver or Nivvor – Never
• Nivvor – see Nivver
• Np Place – A Place – No Place is the name of a village in County Durham
• Nobbut – Only -as "Aa's nobbut badly thi day = I'm only poorly today"
• Nog – Mining term – A chock, blocks of wood to support the roof of coal mines (mid C19) ^[2]
• Noo – Now
• Noodle – Yeomanry, cavalry – a term of abuse because the local yeomanry were intensely disliked
• Nooled – Subdued, broken-spiritied, dazed – as "A poor nooled dog" ^[2]
• Noops – see Cloud-Berry – The ground mulberry ^[2]
• Noration – A confused crowd or a noise generally ^[3]
• Nout, Nowt – Oxen, neat cattle – as "A nout beast" ^[2]
• Nowt – Nothing -as "Aa aa nowt – I owe nothing"
• Numb – stupid
• Nuts – A size of coal – see Beans ^[2]
• Nyame, Nyem – name -as "Aa divvent knaa his nyem" – as "Maw nyem is Geordy Black, In maw time aw've been a crack" from Geordy Black|Geordy (or Geordie) Black by Rowland Harrison|Rowland "Rowley" Harrison
• Nyuk – see Neuk – Nook

• Oast – Fresh curdle for cheese ^[2]
• Oaste – Name given to a person who came to Newcastle to buy coal – the vendor was called a hoastman
• Oasteman – The vendor of coal
• Of – A word of many meanings
  • Of – Like – as "or onything o' that = Or anything of that"
  • Of – In – as "He's getten sich a pain of his legs = He's getting such a pain in his legs"
  • Of – For – as "To wait of him = To wait for him" or "He's shootin' of us = He's shouting for us"
• Offan, Offins – Often
• Offputter – The loader of coals into a vessel at a staith or spout, the agent, or at the shipping quay, the staithman ^[2]
• Off-Gate – Exit, Known to be used around 1700 ^[2]
• Off-take – A deduction from a workman's wage ^[2]
• Oilin his wig – Drinking heavily
• Oller – The alder tree
• On – Of – as "Thor's nowt to be afeared on = There's nothing to be afraid of"
• On-Put – Mining term – The overlay of beds, above an outcrop
• Oneses (or Wonnzes) – A term relating to one ^[3]
• Onset – Mining term – To place a colliery tub in position for hoisting ^[2]
• Onsetter – Mining term – Man in control at the bottom of pit shaft. With his assistants he clears the cage of empty tubs on its descent, and pushes in full tubs in their place. He is responsible for signals to bank to move the cage,a nd for regulating the ascent of men ^[2]
• On't – Of it – as "Ye've myed a bftch on't = You have spoilt it"
• Onyway – Anyway
• Ony-gate – Anywhere – as "Aa canna find it ony-gate – I can't find it anywhere" ^[2]
• Ooaa – Hour
• Oot – Out – Old English word – Compare to the Dutch Uitgang (out go – exit)
• Oot back – Outside lavatory
• Oot bye – Outside -as "It's varra caad oot bye = It's very cold outside"
• Oot Bye – Mining term – Towards the bottom of the pit shaft
• Oot o' the way – Of people, ungodly, attending no place of worship, disrespectable, or vicious (varied according to context) – as "He's been an out of the way man iv his time" ^[3]
• Ootrug – The back undercurrent of the sea caused by the wash on the waves against the shore ^[2]
• Ottercop – see Attercop – Spider or web ^[2]
• Ou – see Owe ^[2]
• Our, Wor – Actually "my" being the plura, but used in the singular as My – as "Wor Ma = my Mother"
• Ousen – Oxen – used in ploughing in C19 and before ^[2]
• Owe, Ou, Aa – To own – as "Whe's owe the hat? = Who's is the hat?" ^[2]
• Ower – Over – as "He hes far ower much ti~say for hissell = He has far too much to say for himself"
• Owerheed, Owerhad – Overhead ^[2]
• Owerman – A colliery official having the daily supervision and responsible charge underground of the mine or portion of the mine ^[2]
• Owld – Old -as "An owld wife – an old woman" – see also Aad
• Owse, Owt – Anything – as "Owse much = Anything considerable" ^[2]
• Oxters – Armpits -as "My coat is tight under the oxters"
• Oyster-Scaup, Oyster-Scappy – Oyster-bed ^[2]

• Paaky – Conceited, choosy about food (picky)
• Paanshop – Pawn Shop
• Paap, Pawp – Nipple ^[2]
• Paat – To paw or claw with the hand – "Divent paat on wi'd or ye'll spoi'd" ^[2]
• Padda-Pipe, Paddock-Pipe – Horsetail – the plant ^[2]
• Paddock,Paddice, Padeek – A frog – A 'tyed' (toad) is always distinguished from a paddock ^[2]
• Pag – To pack tightly, to stop up – as "The wetter pipe's getten pagged up wi summat = The water pipe is getting blocked up with something" ^[2]
• Paid – Finished, beaten, ended
• Paik – To thrash – asv "We'll paik their hides = We will tan (smack) their hides (bottoms)" ^[2]
• Painches – The paunch
• Painch-Wife – Tripe-seller ^[2]
• Pair – Set – as "Pair of cards = Pack of cards" or "Pair of stairs = Staircase = Set of stairs" ^[2]
• Pairock, Pairk – An enclosure, a paddock ^[2]
• Pairt – A word with more than one meaning
  • Pairt – (adjective) – Some, a fair quantity – (adverb) – (well): "He'll (b)e pairt fash afore he's dyun wi'd" ^[2]
  • Pairt – (adverb) – Well – as "He'll be pairt fash afore he's dyun wi'd" ^[2]
• Pait – see Pate
• Pallatic – Corruption of paralytic, meaning very drunk
• Pan – A salt pan – see place-name of Howdon Pans
• Pander – To wander or loiter about – as "He gans panderin aboot" ^[2]
• Pandy – A slap on the hand – as "Hoo many pandies did the skyulmaister gi' ye?" ^[2]
• Pang – To stuff full, similar to Par qv ^[2]
• Panhaggerty or Panhagglety – A traditional dish containing potatoes, onions and grated cheese, sometimes left-overs
• Panka-Bowdie, Penka-Bowdie – A game played with marbles ^[3]
• Pant – A public water fountain
• Parkin – A northern cake made of treacle and oatmeal – Parkin (cake)|Parkin was originally from Yorkshire and traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night
• Parky – Choosy
• Parnickety – Fastidious
• Pash – A word with more than one meaning
  • Pash – A heavy fall of snow or rain ^[2]
  • Pash – A soft, decayed substance – as "Rotten as pash" ^[2]
• Past – A word with more than one meaning
  • Past – (noun) – The position from which to pitch (in the game of Pitch-an'-Toss)
  • Past – To be past oneself means to be distracted – as "Thor's myekin sic a noise aa's fair past mesel = You're so noisy I can't think"
• Paste egg – A hard boiled Easter egg – The "boolin" and "jaapin" of Easter eggs is a very old northern custom. see Jarping (or Jaaping) eggs – and as "An' te please the pit-laddies at Easter, A dish full o' gilty pyest-eggs" – from The Pitman’s Courtship by William Mitford, singer-songwriter|William Mitford of North Shields.
• Pate, Pait – A badge (obsolete) ^[2]
• Paten-Stick – A stick placed before the church door at ford when the bride and bridegroom came out, and the newly-wedded ones had to "loup", it, or else pay the usual fine – see Petting-Stone
• Pau, Pay – To beat, to thrash – as "Aa'll pay yor hide" ^[2]
• Pawky – Dainty ^[3]
• Pawp – see Paap
• Pay – To thrash -as "Aa'll pay yor hide = I'll give you a good hiding"
• Peas – A size of coal – see BEANS ^[2]
• Pease Puddin – A pudding made from split peas flavoured with ham. Can be eaten hot or cold. – "Pease Porridge Hot|Pease puddin hot, pease puddin cold. Pease puddin in the pot, nine days old." is an old north country Nursery Rhyme.
• Pea-swad – A pea-shell, pod ^[2]
• Peat-Hag – see Hag – A geographic term
• Peedde – A boy on board a keel ^[2]
• Peedee – Something small, as a tiny marble ^[3]
• Peen – The sharp end, as of a tool ^[2]
• Peenge – To utter low, fretful cires – as "That's the bairn peengin aboot?" ^[2]
• Peesweep – Lapwing, or peewit ^[3]
• Peggin' top – A peg-top ^[3]
• Pele or Peel – A defensive tower – A Border term
• Pell – Hard, strong = as "Pell clay" ^[2]
• Pelsh – Weak or silly by sickness, or constitutionally weak – as "He's oney a pelsh 'un" ^[2]
• Pelt – To hurry along -as "Full pelt = Full speed"
• Pen point – Nib of a pen ^[3]
• Pen shank – Pen-holder ^[3]
• Penka, Penker – Marble, most likely not glass but a steel ball bearing obtained from coal mine equipment – as in the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Penny Gaff – Cheap cinema matinee – see Gaff
• Penny Lop – The local cinema which was full of people with fleas – hence "Fit as a lop"
• Penny-Stane – A quoit
• Penny-Wilk, Penneywilk – see Wilk – A periwinkle ^[2]
• Perishment – A violent chill is always described as a "perishment of cold" ^[3]
• Pet – A term of endearment
• Peter-Waggy – The familiar toy in which the arms and legs of a grotesque figure are thrown up when a string is pulled ^[2]
• Peth – A path or a road up a hill – in several place names as Morpeth, Northumberland|Morpeth
• Petting-Stone. A stone outside a church over which the bride had to be lifted, or this act could be commuted by a payment. On Lindisfarne|Holy Island the stone is in the churchyard and at Ford, a "paten-stick" placed before the church door was used. – "Being here (at Shilbottle) one day while a pitman's wedding was going on, we were amused with the custom of lifting the ladies over a heap of stones laid in the middle of the footpath." – Correspondent in the Northumberland Gazette|Alnwick Mercury, 15 July 1861) ^[6]
• Phosey, Fosey – Frostbitten when applied to turnips ^[2]
• Pianet – see Piot – A magpie
• Pick – Pitch – as "Pick dark = Pitch dark" or "Pick black = Pitch black" ^[2]
• Pick at – Find fault with, abuse
• Pick Hack – Mining term – A heavy pick, weighing about 7 lbs., with head about 18 in. in length with sharp head and chisel point – see also JACK^[3]
• Picker – An implement used for picking turnips ^[2]
• Pickle – A small quantity -as "gi's a pickle mair = Give me a little more"
• Piffolo – Piccolo ^[3]
• Pig – An earthenware hot water bottle – ("A traveller in Northumberland was astonished when told that country people slept with the pigs for warmth." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Pigeon-Duccot, Pigeon-Ducket – A pigeon cree
• Piggin or Piggy – An earthenware pitcher.
• Pike – A word with more than one meaning
  • Pike – A pointed hill – the opposite is DODD, a truncated hill
  • Pike – A small pointed stack of hay containing about one cart- load – erected temporarily awaiting transport to the farm yard
• Pillan – A small green-coloured sea crab, used as bait ^[2]
• Pillar – Mining term – The square masses of coal left in a working to support the roof
• Pillow Slip – A pillow case
• Pin – Humour, a state of hsappiness. – as "A jug o' Geordy's maut and hop, Suin put us iv a merry pin" from The Pitman's Pay by Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson, 1843 ^[9]
• Pined out – Dried – as "Pined hazel rods" ^[2]
• Pin-Well – A well where valuable offerings (replaced by pins in C19) were made in return for wishes – ("About a mile west of Jarrow, their is a well still called Bede's Well to which, as late as the year 1740, it was a prevailing custom to bring diseased children; a crooked pin was put into the well, which was lewed dry between each dipping of the patient. But on every midsummer-eve there was a great resort of neighbouring people, with bonfires, music and dancing, to St. Bede's Well." – Impartial History of Newcastle, 1801 – by John Baillie (divine)|John Baillie) ^[6]
• Piot, Pyet, Pianet – A magpie ^[2]
• Pipe-stopple – A Pipe-shank – Stem of tobacco-pipe ^[3]
• Pirtle – A short stick used for stirring porridge ^[2]
• Pit – A colliery or coal mine
• Pit claes – Clother worn to work, by a miner
• Pit-Cracket – The low seat used by a coal hewer ^[2]
• Pit-heap – The deposit of coal and other excavated material near the mouth of a pit
• Pitch-an'-Toss – A gambling game. formerly in general use in the district – ("The players, who are called a school. place a bit of white boody (the mot) in position. This is aimed at by each in succession, the first player having the choice of the place (the past) from which to pitch. Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|Pence and Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpence are used as quoits. The player whose coin lies nearest to the mot then picks up the whole of the coins, and, laying them on his hand, tosses them up with a spin. All that come down lying head up become his own; the tails pass on to the next player, who tosses again, leaving the tails for the next in succession. The process is repeated till all the coins are disposed of." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Pitman – A miner, a collier
• Pitmatic – A local Geordie dialect spoken in Co Durham by colliers and peculiar to themselves
• Pittle – To urinate.
• Pittoring – Low-spirited, complaining – as "Ay, he's pitterin' on = said of one who was continually fancying he was just about to die" ^[3]
• Pity Me – Pity Me is a village in County Durham
• Pit-Yakkor – A term of abuse applied to pitmen – Yakker (or Yakkor) = manual worker
• Plack – A small piece of money ^[2]
• Plantin' – Plantation – as "Gan up past yon plantin = Go past that plantation" ^[3]
• Plash – A word with more than one meaning
  • Plash – A downpour of rain
  • Plash – To splash or spatter – as "Plashin wet – Soaked with wet" ^[2]
• Plater – A shipyard term meaning a man who puts on ship's-plates
• Plates, Tram-Plates – The rails on which colliery trams are run
• Playlaking – A simpleton – as "To 'mak' a playlakin' of' any make a fool of him" ^[3]
• Plew, Ploo – see Pluff – A plough
• Pload – see Plowd
• Ploat, Plote – To pluck out the feathers of a bird. When it snowed children used to sing. various local rhymes such as "The aad wives' i' the east they're ploatin their geese, An' sendin a' the white feathers ti me" and " Keelmen keelmen, ploat yor geese ; Caad days an winter neets" ^[2]
• Plodge – To wade in water with bare feet, to paddle – as "Alang the sands we myed wor way, Like plodgers on a rainy day, The lasses bonny feet display Upon the sands at Tynemouth, O" from Wor Peg's Trip te Tynemouth by Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson
• Plote – see Ploat
• Plowd, Pload – To plodge in dirt. Plodge is used for wading in water and plowd for wading in mud. "He's been plodging i' the wetter aall day, and now he's plowdin through the clarts = He's been wading in the water all day ans now he's wading in the mud (or dirt)"
• Pluff – A word with more than one meaning
  • Pluff – A plough – the many Plough Inns of the area were often pronounced as Pluff Inn
  • Pluff – To spit
  • Pluffer – A tube used as a pea-shooter
• Po-Heed, Pow-Heed – A tadpole
• Poke – A sack, or bag – as "Flour-poke" ^[3]
• Poke-Horse – A pack-horse – so named because it carried bags on top of its saddle
• Poke-Puddin – A pudding boiled in a bag – as "Mair poke nor puddin = More show than substance" – an old proverb
• Poked – Offended – as "He's getten hissel' poked = He's getting offended"
• Poky – inquisitive
• Poliss – Police
• Pompey – A small boy, a dwarf ^[3]
• Pony Putter – Mining term, the man who drives the pit ponies underground – see Putter
• Pooda – Powder
• Poodle – The young coal-fish – see Coalsay ^[2]
• Pooey, Puoy, Puy, Powey, Poy – The pole used by keelmen to 'set' or push the keel along ^[2]
• Pooket – Pocket – as "It was in his trouser pooket" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Poot – An unfledged bird ^[2]
• Popple – The corn cockle ^[2]
• Pork – Park
• Porter-Pokeman – A grain porter – from ship to cart or cart to warehouse ^[2]
• Posey – Decorated with flowers
• Posey Jacket – A pitmen's holiday waistcoats, frequently of very curious patterns, displaying flowers of various dyes – "The pitmen's holiday waistcoats (called by them posey jackets) were frequently of very curious patterns, displaying flowers of various dyes." from "A descriptive and historical account of the town and county of Newcastle upon Tyne" by Eneas Mackenzie 1827
• Poss – A word with more than one meaning
  • Poss – To wash clothes by agitating or beating them in a poss-tub filled with hot water using a poss-stick (a heavy piece of wood with a stalk and heavy foot)
  • Poss stick – A heavy piece of wood with a stalk and heavy foot used for "Possing" (or washing clothes)
  • Poss tub – A tub or large container used for washing clothes, using a Poss stick to poss them
• Post – Mining term – Sandstone of very firm, fine, compact grain ^[2]
• Pot – A mess – as "Gan te pot = In a mess"
• Pot cleps, Pot kelps – Pot-hooks, or hooks used for suspending pots over the kitchen fire ^[2]
• Pot luck – Luck, chance
• Pot-pie – A word with more than one meaning
  • Pot-pie – A pie made of beef chopped into pieces surrounded by dough and then boiled in a pot
  • Pot-Pie – A boys' game. All caps are placed on a boy's back, the rest vault over him, 'leap-frog' fashion, and the one who displaces a cap becomes vaulting-horse in his turn ^[3]
• Potted meet – Stewed meat, as used to be sold in butchers' shops ^[3]
• Pow-Heed – see Po-Heed
• Powey – see Pooey
• Powled off – Made drunk ^[2]
• Powtle, Prtle – To poke – as "Powtel about" ^[2]
• Poy – see Pooey
• Preen – A word with more than one meaning
  • Preen – A pin ^[2]
  • Preen-cod – Pincushion ^[2]
• Pressgang – A group of romping children ^[2]
• Prinkin – Pins and needles effect
• Prod – A stick to drive anything out of its hiding place ^[2]
• Prog – To prick – as "Aa've prog'd me thoom wiv a needle = I've pricked my thumb with a needle"
• Proggle – A thorn
• Proggy Mat – A mat made by pricking cloth into the background material
• Pudden' – A word with more than one meaning
  • Pudden' – Pudding
  • Pudden' – as Pull mi puddin' oot – Work very hard
• Pund – Pound
• Puoy – see POOEY
• Put – A word with several meanings
  • Put – To palpitate, to throb, as in the sensation when an abscess is forming and the pulsations are felt in the inflamed part. -as "Me hand's puttin', an' aa's flaid it's gan ti bleed"
  • Put – To bud, as with a plant -as "Aa see it's aaII reet; it's puttin"
  • Put – To push, propel – a train by pushing or a keel with a powey
  • Put – To put a storre (or a STONE or a SHOT) is to thrust it forward. In doing this the hand is held up over the shoulder and the stone is laid on the flat palm. A slight bending of the knees and a quick recovery of the upright position enables the thrower to put the stone forward with great force.
• Put-back – To thrust or hold back.
• Put-down – To put to death. A horse or dog are said to be put-down – they are not said to be killed or destroyed.
• Put-On – see On-Put – A mining term
• Put oneself down – To commit suicide, or make fun of oneself
• Put ower – To tide over, to survive – as "Aa'll try to put-ower till Christmas"
• Put pay – The payment of the fortnight's wages delayed until after the usual day
• Put the door to – "See that the door is shut"
• Putter – Mining term – The man who conveys coal from the hewer to the flat or station whence it is hauled by engine- power – they put or push the tram forward from behind – see Hand Putter and Pony Putter
• Puttin' pain – A pain felt at each pulsation
• Putting Hewer – in mining, a young hewer who is liable to be called upon to put if necessary
• Putting Ponies – Ponies ten or eleven hands high, used in substitution for putters or barrowmen
• Putting through – A scolding ^[3]
• Puy – see Pooey
• Pyeppor – Paper
• Pyest – Paste – see also Paste egg, A hard boiled Easter egg
• Pyet – A word with more than one meaning
  • Pyet – see Piot – A magpie
  • Pyet – Head

• Quaddle – To boil and bubble – as "The pot's wauddlin on the hud" ^[2]
• Quarl, Quarel – A flag or tile ^[2]
• Queen, Quine – Woman – as "A good leukin queen" (also used sometimes as a term of opprobrium) ^[2]
• Queen's Heed – A postage stamp ^[2]
• Quey, Quy – A young cow that has not had a calf; a calf is either a bull or a quey – as "Stealing of two kine and two quies" from court report 1628 ^[2]
• Quickens, Hwickens – The underground stems of creeping grass and many weeds ^[2]
• Quicken-Tree – The mountain ash ^[2]
• Quicks – Young hawthorn plants for planting hedgerows ^[2]
• Qweor – Queer -as "Theor's nowt so qweor as folk"

• Raa – A word with more than one meaning
  • Raa – A row or tier
  • Raa – A row of houses – as "The Pit Raa" or see the "DOUBLE RAA"
• Raaf – A word with more than one meaning
  • Raaf, Raff – Originally timber, but later odds and ends
  • Raaf Yard, Raff Yard – Originally a timber yard
• Raaled – Rolled
• Rack – A word with more than one meaning
  • Rack – Seaweed, field weeds ^[2]
  • Rack – Reach of navigable river – as "Hebburn Rack" ^[2]
• Rackan, Rackan-cruk, Rackin-cruk – A pot-hook or chain and hook for suspending pots over a fire ^[2]
• Rackle – Rash, violent, headstrong – as "For ev'ry body hez a plan Te guide a rackle ram-stam wife, Except the poor tormented man" from "The Pitmans Pay" by Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson – Pitman's Pay ^[2][9]
• Radgy – Lewd, wanton ^[2]
• Raff – see Raaf
• Rag – A word with more than one meaning
  • Rag – To tease
  • Rag – To scold -as "He got a rare raggin ower the job = He was severlly reprimanded for the work"
• Rag Baccy – Shag tobacco (known to be in use in 19th C) ^[2]
• Rageous – Outrageous ^[3]
• RAaim – To talk or call fretfully -as "He just raimed away like one oot iv his heed"
• Raise – To 'raise the place' is to make an uproar – as "He's raised the place to gan there = He pestered to go there" ^[3]
• Raivel – see Raival – To talk incoherently
• Rake- A right of pasture, a sheep-walk
• Ralled – Rolled – as "Well, it ralled reet doon the koondy" from the song Wor Geordie's lost his penka
• Ram – Foul, foetid, rank – as "As ram as a fox" ^[2]
• Ramble, Ramell – Earthy or stony material without cohesion, a loose, friable deposit of shale ^[2]
• Rame – To ply one with questions, to bother – as children love to do – "He just raimed my life out for Sixpence (British coin)|sixpence = He bothered (and pestered) me for a mere sixpence" ^[3]
• Ramel – Small tree branches ^[2]
• Rammy – A horn or other kind of spoon ^[2]
• Ramp – A strain, a sever wrench – as "Aa slip'd an ramp'd me anclet = I slipped and sprained my ankle" ^[2]
• Ramper – The lamprey ^[2]
• Ramps – The broad-leaved garlic or ramsoms ^[2]
• Ramstan, Ramstrang – Headlong, obstinate ^[2]
• Randy – A disorderly, scolding, quarrelsome woman – as "She's a reg'lar randy"
• Range, Rench, Wrench – To rinse – as "Range the pot oot = Rinse the pot" ^[3]
• Rant – A lively song with chorus
• Ranters – Primitive Methodists ^[3]
• Rap – Mining term – To signal to the breaksman at a colliery
• Rapper – Mining term – A knocker, or a rope from bottom to top of shaft with hammer attached, to signal from below
• Rash, Rasher, Resher – A rush (plant) ^[2]
• Rasp – Raspberry (common all over North of England)
• Rat, Wrat – A wart ^[2]
• Ratch – To scratch, to ferret about – as "Ratchin i' me box" ^[2]
• Rat-rhyme, Rat-Raims – A monotonous doggerel rhyme ^[2]
• Rattan, Ratten, Ratton – A rat – as "The barn's full o' rattans = The barn is full of rats" ^[2]
• Rattle-scawp – A frolicsome, mischievous fellow ^[3]
• Ravel, Raival, Reaval – To talk incoherently – as "Ravelin an' takin" ^[2]
• Rax – Stretch – Dry flesh, stretched tight, would be 'rax'd' – as "He raxed hissel' oot = He stretched his arms" ^[3] or "It'll rax a yard afor it'll rive an inch" or "to rax oot = To clear up (applied to the weather)"
• Rear – Rare, Underdone (of meat)
• Reaval – see Ravel
• Reave. To rob, steal, rustle – Specially used in connection with the Border raiders – as "The limmer thieves o' Liddesdale, Wad na leave a kye in the hail countrie: But an we gie them the caud steel, Our gear they'll reive it a' awaye" from The Fray o' Hautwessell (The Ballad of Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott, written about the notorious ‘Reiver’ gang – the Armstrongs of Liddesdale and their raid of 1598) ^[15]
• Reavers – Border raiders
• Recking crook – (pronounced 'crook' not 'kruok') – A crook hanging over the fire for pans to hang from ^[3]
• Recklin', Rinklin, Wreknel – The last born, the youngest, weak pig in a litter ^[3]
• Red, Rid – To tidy, to set out in order – as "Get the hearth red up" ^[2]
• Red and white – A Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland football club supporter
• Rede – Counsel – rede is an Old English word meaning plan or solution, advice or counsel. It is usually used in the proverb – "Short rede. good rede, slay ye the bishop". This proverb relates to the murder of William Walcher|Bishop Walcher at Gateshead in 1080. The Norman bishop had just met the leaders of the local Saxons and (according to some sources) had made exorbitant demands for money from them. When he returned to the church to await their reply, the cry was raised 'Short rede, good rede, slay ye the bishop' and the crowd hacked him to death. Another story gives the ending of the Church being set on fire and the Bishop and retainers burning to death.
• Reed – Red
• Reedhot – Red hot
• Reek – Smoke – as "The chimleys reekin badly"
• Reely – Really – as "There she wes lyin', byeth groanin' and cryin', Te claim hor aa reely thowt shyem" from "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" by Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong
• Reested, Reesty – Rancid (bacon) ^[2]
• Reet – Right – Used in many expression – "Not reet iv his head"
• Reeve – The chief officer of a town or area appointed by the King and responsible for keeping the peace, The term withstood the Norman Conquest – Old English Gerefa – (The word "sheriff" is a contraction of the term "shire reeve")
• Rehorsal – Rehearsal
• Reive – see Reave – To rob
• Rench – see Range
• Renk – The distance a 'putter' puts the coal from face to flat. The first 'renk' might be 80 yards from the hewer, and as the distance increased, the putter received an additional penny for every 20 yards (archaic)
• Resher – see Rash
• Resorch – Research
• Retorn – Return
• Ribbing Plough – A plough without wheels ^[3]
• Rice, Rise – Twigs, as tree tops or burchwood, used for fencing, etc. – as "A stake and rice fence" ^[2]
• Ricket – A badly-castrated animal ^[3]
• Rid – see Red
• Riddle – A sieve ^[3]
• Ride – Mining term -To ascend or be drawn up a pit shaft, to go to bank ^[2]
• Ride the water with – To trust someone – as "He's not safe to ride the water with = He's untrustworthy" ^[3]
• Riding-the-Stang – Carrying a man astride a pole – generally a punishment for a faithless husband, but among miners was a sign of triumph
• Rig – A ridge – e.g. produced by ploughing up and down alternately
• Rime, Rind – Hoar-frost – as "There's a heavy rind on"
• Rinklin – see Recklin'
• Rip – Rascal – Often said of children
• Ripe – To rifle – e.g. To pick a pocket ^[2]
• Ris, Riz – Arose – as "Aa ris aboot five i' th' morning" ^[2]
• Rise – see Rice
• Rive – A word with more than one meaning
  • Rive – (noun) – A tear or rent in a garment
  • Rive – (verb) – To rend or tear apart violently
• Riz – see Ris
• Road – Way – as "Out of the road = Out of the way'" or "In the road = In the way, a hinderance" or "No road = No way" – but "Any road = Anyway, meaning in any case"
• Rock Salmon – see Coalsay – The coal-fish ^[2]
• Rolley – A carriage used down the pit.
• Rook – (noun) Thick fog, damp – as "It's a thick rook the neet = It's a thick fog tonight" – the adjective is rooky ^[3]
• Rooky, Rouky -(adjective) Damp and foggy – as "A rouky day" ^[2]
• Roon' – Round
• Roondies – Rounders
• Roondy – Large coal – see Beans ^[2] as "An' hear the awful shots that rummel'd throo the pit, An' lumps o' roondy coal cum doon pell-mell" from Geordy Black|Geordy (or Geordie) Black by Rowland Harrison|Rowland "Rowley" Harrison
• Roopy, Ropey – Husky (of the voice)
• Roppled – Ravelled – as "That twine's getten a' roppled = The wool is ravelled" ^[2]
• Rosal – see Rozzel – Resin
• Rosel – see Rozzel – To heat
• Rosey – A rose ^[2]
• Rosin – see Rozzel
• Rouky – see Rooky
• Rout – To roar – as "The routing-Linn = The roaring Linn – (a waterfall)"
• Rove – An iron washer used for riveting ^[2]
• Rowan – A tree, the Sorbus aucuparia|Mountain Ash
• Rowly-powly – Rolling over and over
• Rowly-powly – A game of chance
• Rown – Roe of a fish ^[3]
• Rozzel – A word with more than one meaning
  • Rozzel, Rosal, Rosin – To heat over a fire -as "Rozzel yor shins"
  • Rozzel, Rosal – Resin – as "Noo, fiddler, rozzel up = Hello fiddler, are you going to put resin on your bow (or more correctly " get ready for a lively piece of music")" ^[2]
• Rubbin-Styen – A soft stone used for rubbing on door-steps and floors – a common practice fifty years ago
• Rud, Ruddle – Red paint or red ochre used for marking sheep ^[2]
• Rug – To tug,to pull, to drag with violence – as "Ruggin pain" or "He wis ruggin her hair" ^[2]
• Rumble-Stone – see Rummle-Styne
• Rumle – To rumble – (as in many similar words the b is silent)
• Rummie Cundy – A ditch filled up with loose stones, for water to drain through ^[3]
• Rummle-Styne, Rumble-Stone – A loose stone ^[2]
• Runch – Wild radish ^[2]
• Runt – A small ox or cow
• Russe, Rustle – To wrestle – as "A russlin' match" ^[2]
• Ryn – A very small stream – as "A lytle ryn" (known to be used from 16th Century)

• Saa – Saw, as in perceived with the eyes
• Saasa – Saucer
• Sackless, Seckless – Useless, simple, stupid
• Sad – Bad -as "he's iv a sad way"
• Sae – So, a common spelling. The usual pronunciation is see, seea, and soowah.
• Saf – see Saugh
• Saint Cuthbert's Beads – The name of the encrinites – fossilized sea animals – found on the sands of Holy Island
• Saint Cuthbert's Ducks – Eider Ducks
• Sair – A word with more than one meaning
  • Sair – Sore, painful, troublesome, dsitressing – as "Aa hed sair tews ti catch the train" – or as "Though they blair'd till their kites were byeth empty and sair" from The Amphitrite by Robert Gilchrist
  • Sair – (adverb) – Sorely – as "Sair fashed = sorely bothered (or troubled)" or "Sair missed = Sorely missed"
• Sal – Shall ^[2]
• Salamander – A poker with a flat, thickened end, heated red-hot in the fire, for thrusting into an unlighted fire ^[3]
• Sally Walker – A round game. The players form a ring, joining hands, and go round a girl in the middle of the ring ^[3]
• Sandlark – Meadow-pipit
• Sand Shoes – Gym shoes
• Sang – A word with more than one meaning
  • Sang – Suffix as Maar sang or Ba sang – An exclamation ^[2]
  • Sang – Song
• Sang and dance – A fuss – "To myek a song = To make a great fuss"
• Sannies – see Sandshoes
• Sark – A shirt
• Sarra – To serve – as "Sarra the swine = Serve out food to the swine" or "He's reet sarred = He's got his deserts" ^[2]
• Sarved = Served
• Saugh, Saf, Sauf, Saugh-Tree – The willow ^[2]
• Scabby – Shabby -as "A scabby fellow"
• Scad – To scald -as "Scaddin het = Scalding hot"
• Scale – A word with more than one meaning
  • Scale, Skail – To disperse – as "An aad poke is aye scalin"
  • Scale – Of scattering of manure on farm-land ^[2]
• Scallion – A spring onion
• Scalp – see Scappy
• Scam, Scame – Constantly used as a term for the impurities in rocks and minerals ^[2]
• Scammie – To scramble ^[2]
• Scappy, Scalp, Scaup – The shore bared at low tide, a bed – as Oyster-scaup (or scappy) and Mussel-scaup (or scappy) ^[2]
• Scare – A rough, bare precipice ^[2]
• Scart, Scra, Scrat – To scratch – as "Scrat the lug" or "Aa'll gar ye scraft where it's not yuccy" ^[2]
• Scaup – see Scappy
• Sclater – A wood-louse ^[2]
• Scobbie, Sheelie – Chaflinch ^[3]
• Sconce – A seat at the side of an old chimney, fireside seat (according to John Trotter Brockett) ^[12]
• Scone – A thick round cake baked on a girdle
• Scoor – To scour, to rub clean
• Scoot – A word with more than one meaning
  • Scoot – To squirt
  • Scoot, Skout – The guillemot or Auk ^[2]
• Score – A word with more than one meaning
  • Score – A line (in marbles) – as "On the scores, out = When the marble is not knocked clean out of the ring, but lies just on the line, then the cry is "It's on the score" ^[3]
  • Score – A standard number of tubs of coal upon which putters wages are based – in Durham it is twenty-one, in Northumberland twenty.^[6])
• Scoreprice – Pitmen's wages, the price current for filling a score (usually 21 or inother places, 25) tubs ^[3]
• Scotch Draper – An itinerant seller of goods on credit. – (Also known as a Manadge-Man or Ticket Man)
• Scotch Mist – A sea fret
• Scoub, Scown – A sapling or 'sooker' of willow or hazel ^[2]
• Scra – see Scart – To scratch
• Scrab-Apple, Scroggy – The crab apple – as "Scroggy jelly = Crab apple jelly (a jam)" ^[2]
• Scraffle – A scramble or struggle, to scrable along or climb up with great effort ^[2]
• Scrammie – A scramble; to scramble ^[2]
• Scran – Food – as (Se weel she ettles what aw get, Se far she a'ways gars it gan, That nyen can say we are i' debt, Or want for owther claes or scran – from The Pitman's Pay, by Thomas Wilson ^[9]
• Scranch – see Cranch – Crackle, to crunch, to grind the teeth
• Scranchum – A word with more than one meaning
  • Scranchum – The hard skin or "crackling" of roast pork
  • Scranchum – Gingerbread baked in thin wafers – all so called because they scranch or crackle in eating
• Scrat – To scratch -as "To scrat for a leevin – To make a precarious living"
• Screed – A writing, a document – as "He signed the screed" or "He wrote screeds = He wrote a lot" ^[2]
• Screenge – To crackle, as ice when it gives to the tread ^[2]
• Scribe – Handwriting -as "Just gi'z a bit scribe off yor han to show whe aa is"
• Scrike – (verb and substantive) – Shriek ^[3]
• Scrimp – To shorten, to do without, to act like a miser – as "The aad miser's as scrimpy as can be"
• Scrog, Scrogs – Rough brushwood or underwood – as "Lowpin ower the scrogs = Jumping (leaping) over the scrub" ^[2]
• Scroggy – see Scab-Apple
• Scrogs – see Scrog
• Scroube – To crush or squeeze together – as "What are ye scroungin us for? = Why are you squeezing us?" ^[2]
• Scrudge – A crush, a packed crowd, to crowd or crush together ^[2]
• Scruff – Nape of the neck -as "He tyuk him bi the scruff o' the neck"
• Scruffy – Dirty
• Scrunch – see Cranch – Crackle, to crunch, to grind the teeth
• Scrunty – Poor, bare, contemptible, ill-thriven – as "A scrunty heathery bit of land" – from an article in the June 1980 edition of the weekly local newspaper "The Hexham Courant" ^[2]
• Scubber – A wooden barrow, made of boards fixed on a frame Venetian blindwise, for breaking clots (or clods) ^[3]
• Scuddock – A small coin ro something of smallest value – as "Every scuddock" ^[2]
• Scuffler – A word with more than one meaning
  • Scuffler – see Scubber – A wooden barrow ^[3]
  • Scuffler – A turnip-plough ^[3]
• Scuill – School
• Scumfish – To choke with smoke -as "The chimley's been smokin' till aa's fair scum fished"
• Scunner – A Tyneside word with many meanings
  • Scunner – To flinch, or give signs of pain – as "He never scunnered that blow on the heed = He never flinch when he was hit on the head"
  • Scunner – Aversion, strong dislike – "He's tyken a scunner at her = He's taken an aversion to her"
  • Scunner – Upset -as "She's gotten the scunners = She's taken the huff"
  • Scunner – Notice -as "He didn't scunner me at all = He didn't notice me"
• Se – So -as "Aa wad a thowt se = I would have thought so"
• Sea Coal – Coal taken to London by sea was called sea-coal to distinguish it from charcoal – today it means coal washed up on the shore
• Sea-Fret, Sye-Freet – A damp fog from the sea
• Sea-Ware – Seaweed, rach or wrack ^[2]
• Seam – (geological) – A stratum (or seam) of coal. In the northern coalfield the seams were given special names such as the Beaumont seam, the Townley seam. A good seam was valuable and the term "a canny seam" came to mean "a good job"
• Seaves, Sieves, Seves – Rushes, candle-sieve – a rushlight ^[2]
• Sec – see Sic – Such ^[2]
• Seed – Saw, seen – as "Aa seed it mesel" ^[2]
• Seek – A word with more than one meaning
  • Seek – Sick -as "Seek ti deed = Sick to death"
  • Seek – Fetch, as "Hadaway seek the milk = Go and bring the milk
  • Seek – Ask, look for – as "She's been oot seekin aal day = She's been out all day asking for charity"
  • Seeky – Seek – a children's expression as "Lossy, seeky, findy. Keepy" to claim the right to keep the article
• Seesta – see Sitha – Look, look here
• Seestha – see Sitha
• Seg – A sedge, especially the yellow iris
• Seggar – Soft stone lying on coal-seams, used for making into bricks and coping-stones
• Segger – A nickname for the town of Sacriston.
• Seit – Sight
• Sel – Self- in various combinations – hissel, mesel, worsels etc.
• Selt – Sold
• Sershal – Social
• Set – A train of coal tubs or waggons, etc.
• Set-Pot – Once found in every washhouse – a fixed pot with a fire underneath
• Setten – see Sitten – (past participle of) Sit
• Setting-Stone – A whetstone, a sharpening stone
• Seugh, Sheugh, Sough – A small stream or open gutter, a surface drain – as "Aa've been howkin a seugh to wise the watter away fre' the yet" ^[2]
• Seun – Soon -as "As seun as aa hord him, aa gans up tiv him = As soon as I heard him, I went up to him"
• Seves – see Seaves
• Sez – Said (and not as may be thought "Says")
• Shabby – Applied to health when indifferent -as "He's varry shabby thi' day"
• Shades – Window-curtains
• Shaft – A pit shaft sunk vertically, a horizontal shaft being a drift. – (from the surface; a vertical sinking, as distinguished from a drift or horizontal way into a mine. Downcast shaft, that by which air enters the mine. Upcast shaft that by which it passes up, after traversing the workings of the coIl ierV. Shaft frame, the elevated framework of wood or iron at bank. Shaft framing, the square framing at the top and bottom of the shaft into which the cage runs at the openings where the tubs are changed. Shaft man, a person employed to keep the shaft in repair. Shaft pillars or shaft walls, strong pillars of coal left round the bottom of a pit shaft. Shaft rent, rent formerly charged for the privilege of drawing up the shaft the coal worked from another royalty" from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Shag – Covered with long hair
• Shag hat – A hat which used to be popular with keelmen and miners
• Shairin – see Share
• Shake-down – A temporary bed made with a mattress and bedclothes on the floor
• Shakes – Quality -as "He's nee greet shakes, 's not a reliable person"
• Shangey – A riot, a row, a fight ^[2]
• Shanna, Shannot – Shall not ^[2]
• Sharan – see Share
• Share, Sharan, Shairin – Cow-dung ^[3]
• Sharp – Early
• Shaver – A wag -as "Whay a queer shaver he is"
• Shaw – The green top of stalk of a plant – as "Tatie shaw" or "Neep shaw" ^[2]
• Sheal – see Shill
• Sheals, Shields – A temporary huts or shelter-places, built of sods and covered with poles carrying roofs of turf or moor rushes ^[2]
• Sheckle-byen – The shackle bone, the wrist ^[2]
• Sheel – To shell
• Sheelie, Scobbie – Chaflinch ^[3]
• Shelpit, Shilpit, Shilpy, – Pale, sickly etc. – as "He's a peeur shilpy thing" ^[2]
• Shelty – A Shetland pony ^[2]
• Shem, Shyem, Sheyem – Shame; to put to shame – as "Shem bin ye!" ^[2]
• Sheugh – see Seugh
• Shields – A word with several meanings
  • Shields, Shiels – Either North Shields or South Shields – as "Aw thowt aw'd myek a voyge to Shiels, Iv Jemmy Joneson's whurry" from Jemmy Joneson’s Whurry by Thomas Thompson
  • Shields – see Sheals ^[2]
• Shieling – A shelter for sheep
• Shift – A word with several meanings
  • Shift – The time of working for one day where sets of men (shifts) relieve each other. – (In a colliery the first period of working is called the fore-shift and the next the back-shift, and the hewers themselves are similarly called the fore or back-shift according to their rotation in starting work. In factories, where continuous work is maintained, there is a day-shift and a night- shift; and at the end of the week a double-shift or a shift of twice the ordinary duration is sometimes worked, so as to turn the night men of one week into the day men of the next. A short- shift is a day's work of fewer than the ordinary number of hours) ^[6])
  • Shift – To remove goods from one house to another
  • Shiftin' – A removal
• Shifty – Unreliable
• Shill, Sheal – To shell or dehusk peas or oats ^[2]
• Shilpit, Shilpy – see Shelpit – Pale, sickly etc.
• Shilvins – Upper frame of the sides of a coup cart, to which sideboards are temporarily fixed ^[2]
• Shinny – The game of hockey (now Archaic – but until the late 1880s the word 'Hockey' was hardly known) ^[3]
• Shippen – A cow-house – byre is now the more usual term ^[2]
• Shire – To pour off water or any liquid in such a way as to leave the sediment ^[3]
• Shithering bout – A shivering fit, feeling of cold all over the body ^[3]
• Shive – A slice -as "A shive of breed and butter"
• Shog-Bog – A yielding or quaking bog – treacherous to the foot ^[2]
• Shoon, Shun, Shoun – Shoes – as "An aad pair o' shoon" ^[2]
• Shoot – To shout
• Shoother – Shoulder – as "We'll stan' shoother ti shoother" ^[2]
• Shootin – A common name for childbed, confinement before childbirth
• Shork – To make a gurgling noise, to squelch – as "Me shoughs is shorkin = My shoes are squelching" ^[2]
• Short – A word with more than one meaning
  • Short – Abrupt, ill-tempered -as "He was quite short wi' me"
  • Short – A shirt
• Shot – Rid of, clear off -as "Get shot of ……. = Get rid of ….. (a thing)"
• Shotstick – Mining term – A round stick on which a paper cartridge is rolled ^[3]
• Shough – Shoe ^[2]
• Shoul – see Shul
• Shoun – see Shoon
• Shud – Should
• Shug – A word with several meanings
  • Shug – To sway violently, as trees in a gale ^[2]
  • Shug – To urge; to shove – as "What are ye shuggin at? – Why are you pushing?" ^[2]
  • Shuggy, Shuggyboat – A swing, once common at fairs, with seats across like a boat
  • Shuggy – (verb) – To swing
• Shul, Shoul – A shovel – as "Len's yor shul = May I borrow your shovel?" ^[2]
• Shun – see Shoon
• Shut – Shoot, to fire a gun
• Shutdoon – Shutdown
• Shy – Unwilling, slow -as "Yo'r varry shy wi' that baccy o' yors"
• Sib – Intimate, friendly, near akin – "Thor varry sib together" ^[2]
• Sic – Such – as "Sic a fight as we hadlneer saw in a' my days = Such a fight ---"
• Siccan see Sic
• Siccanlike – Such like, similar – "We' boozy Bob and siccanlike raff" ^[2]
• Sicker – Sly, inward minded – as "He's a gey sicker yen" ^[2]
• Sickerly – Surely ^[2]
• Siddle – To pick out or choose the best of anything ^[3]
• Side – A long and steep street. as The Side, still a street name in Newcastle – ("In Newcastle, Percy Street was formerly known as Side Gate or Sidgate – that is, long street. The Side is still the name of the long and steep acclivity which connected the lower with the upper town of Newcastle. The evident meaning has led to its application in other places where similar steep bank-sides are characteristic. Gateshead (gate's heed, or head of the road) is thus, not infrequently, called Gateside; and Conside is a common form of Consett. Side, as denoting extent, is constantly used in the expression "the country-side," meaning either the adjacent district or the people living in a certain district. "The hyel country-side wis at the funeral." Side occurs in combination no less than eighty-five times in Northumberland place-names: Corsenside, Catcherside, Woodside, etc." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Sie – A drop – as "Not a sie left" ^[2]
• Sieve – see Candle-Sieve – A rushlight ^[2]
• Sieves – see Seaves – Rushes ^[2]
• Sike – see Syke – A small rill, the feeder of a burn
• Sikes, Syeks – An exclamation – as "Sikes alive!" ^[2]
• Sill – A stratum (especially) – e.g. The whin sill ^[2]
• Siller – Silver – as "A sillerless man gans fast through the market"
• Silly – Young, innocent – a term of affection -as "The bft bairn's asleep noo. silly thing"
• Sin – Since, ago – as "It's mair nor a fortnith sin'd"
• Sin-syne – Since then – as "Aa've ne'er seen ye sin-syne" ^[2]
• Sind – To wash out by rinsing – as "Just sind oot the coffee pot, hinney" ^[2]
• Singing Hinnie – Cakes of butter and cream melted and cooked on the GORDLE – (The Geordie Cook Book by Peggy Howey says "The Singing hinny was so called as, when the butter and the cream melted during the baking, it sizzled on the hot girdle and was thought to be singing. An old tale is told of how this large tea-time scone first became known as a Singing hinny; a north country housewife was baking this scone for tea and on repeatedly being asked by her children if it was ready to eat, her final reply was 'No it's just singing, hinnies'") ^[6])
• Sinkers – Mining term – The men who sink pit shafts
• Sipe – Leak – "The watter's sipin' oot = The water has leaked (or is leaking) out"
• Sit – The fit of a garment -as "The coat sits him well"
• Sitha, Seesta, Seestha – Look – "When aa cam in, seesta, thor wis nowt inside"
• Sitten, Setten – (past participle of) Sit ^[2]
• Skail – see Scale – To disperse
• Skarn, Skaren – Dung of cows ^[2]
• Skear, Skeer, Skerr, Skere – Applied to some coast rocks, as in Hadston Skeers (or Hadston Carrs), etc.^[2]
• Skeate – see Skeet^[2]
• Skecky, Skeckie – Mettlesome, ready to start at an object; applied to an animal – as "That's a skecky mear = (said of one that shies at anything" ^[2]
• Skedaddle – To retreat quickly
• Skeel – A peculiarly-shaped bucket (broader at bottom than top, with upright stave projecting from rim, to serve as a handle), formerly used in colliery villages to carry water for household use. They were carried on women's heads on a 'wase' (folded cloth or similar q. v.) with a piece of wood on the top, to prevent the water from splashing over ^[3]
• Skeer – see Skear ^[2]
• Skeet, Skite, Skeate – To skate, to slip, to skid ^[2]
• Skeets – Mining term – Shaft timbers in a pit on which the cage is guided ^[2]
• Skelly – Squinting – (also – verb – to squint) – as "A skellyscope = A telescope" ^[2]
• Skelp – To strike with the open hand particularly on the behind or the cheek -as "Aa'll gie ye a skelp o' the lug"
• Skelper – Anything very large, a whacker ^[3]
• Skemmy – The common blue or farmer's pigeon, often kept by children as a pet in the 19th century ^[3]
• Skep – A basket usually of whicker work, rushes, or straw, used for carrying agricultural produce – see also – Bee skep – A beehive made of straw
• Skere, Skerr – see Skear
• Skew wiff – Uneven, not straight
• Skidder – The common skate ^[2]
• Skimmering – Clean, in fact the perfection in cleanliness – usually relates to a doorstep, linen, etc.^[14]
• Skin – To flog violently -as "Aa'll skin ye if aa get ahad on ye = If I catch you I will give you a good hiding"
• Skinch – Used in children's game to call a truce
• Skint – Skinned or short of money
• Skirval – Two pieces of wood acting as a keel in cobles ^[2]
• Skite – A word with several meanings
  • Skite – see Skeet
  • Skite – A kite ^[2]
  • Skite – To throw or to shoot with a jerk – as "Aa'll skeet ye = (A challenge to a game to make a stone skid on water)" ^[2]
  • Skite, Skyte – To squirt ^[2]
• Skitling – see hempy – as "The skitlin' rascal" ^[3]
• SkittersS – Diarrhoea
• Skout – see Scoot – The guillemot or Auk ^[2]
• Skrike – To shriek; a shriek – as "The skrikes on her wis aaful ti hear" ^[2]
• Skuddy – Naked
• Skybelt – A lazy, useless, ne'er-do-well ^[2]
• Skyedly, Skaidly – Of thievish, pilfering propensity – as "That's a skyedly beast" ^[2]
• Skyet-gob – Fish-face.
• Skyjet – A kite – (archaic) ^[2]
• Sky-scraper – A niggardly person ^[2]
• Skyte – see Skite – To squirt
• Skyul – School – as "We didn't heed much lairnin' then, We had ne time for skyul" from The Pitman’s Happy Times by Joseph Philip (J.P.) Robson, "Bard of the Tyne and Minstel of the Wear"
• Slack – A word with several meanings
  • Slack – Small coal.
  • Slack – Insufficient in quantity -as "Trade was nivvor se slack"
• Slack – A hollow or dip in the land
• Slae – A word with more than one meaning
  • Slae, Slay – The sloe – as "Slay bus = A sloe bush" ^[2]
  • Slae Bus – A sloe bush ^[2]
• Slafe – Narrow, mean looking – said of cattle ^[2]
• Slaister – A mess, a slovenly way of doint things; to do anything in a dauby or untidey fashion, to walk with an awkward and slovenly gait – as "He cam slaisterin alang an hour ahint the time = He came slitrhering along an hour late" ^[2]
• Slake – A mud flat composed of sleck – the best known is Jarrow Slake
• Slattery – Wet, rainy – as "A slattery day" ^[2]
• Slaverin – A term of contempt – "Slaverin cull" etc.^[2]
• Slay – see Slae
• Sleck – Ooze, mud
• Slee – Sly, astute, crafty – as "On the slee = Stealthily"
• Sleekit – Smooth skinned -as "A sleekft cat"
• Sleep the Caller – To sleep in ^[2]
• Sleeper – Sleep, drowsy ^[2]
• Slidder, Sliddery – Unstable, slippery, smooth ^[2]
• Slidey – A slide on ice – as "Howay, lads, let's breed a slidey – Come on, let's start (make) a slide" ^[2]
• Slip – A word with more than one meaning
  • Slip – A child's pinafore, or "a pillow-slip = a pillow case"
  • Slip – A child's pinafore, or "a pillow-slip = a pillow case"
  • Slip – A slim growing girl or boy -as "A bft sllp iv a lass"
• Sliver – A thin strip
• Slogger – To walk with the stockings hanging loosely ^[3]
• Sloken – Slake, quench ^[3]
• Sloom – see Slum
• Slop – Policeman
• Slorp – To make a noise when eating or drinking with a spoon -as "He slorped his tea"
• Slum, Sloom – Slumber – as "He's slumming – He's sleeping" ^[3]
• Slush – A word with more than one meaning
  • Slush – Melting snow
  • Slush – A habitual drunk ^[2]
• Sluwed – Drunk
• Sma', Smaa, Smaal – Small, possibly of coal – or as "For greet an' sma', fishwives an' a', Luik' up tiv her wi' veneration" from Newcassel Props by William Oliver
• Smaal – see Smaa
• Smally – Small – as "That's a smally bit bairn" ^[3] or "The tormits is smally thi 'ear = The turnips are smaller than your ear"
• Smash – An expletive to add emphasis
• Smit – To infect
• Smithereens – Small pieces -as "It's gyen all ti smithereens.= It's broken in pieces"
• Smittal, Smittle – Infectous, catching
• Smokey, Smotty – The hedge sparrow ^[2]
• Smoothy – (The th sounded as in thin) – Dank, damp and warm, humid – as "It's a smoothy day"
• Smotty – see Smokey
• Smout – (pronounced Smoot) – A hare's 'run' through a hedge ^[3]
• Smudge – To laugh in a suppressed manner ^[2]
• Smush – To smoulder away, as touch-paper used by miners ^[3]
• Smyukin – smoking, as of a chimney
• Snaa – Snow
• Snaa brash – Melted snow – as "The snaa-brash had ruined me shoes" ^[2]
• Snab – The projecting part of a hill ^[2]
• Snack – To snatch, to snap, as a dog does – as "She snacked it up afore aa could rich't wi' me hand" ^[2]
• Snaffle – To steal
• Snap-Apple – The game of Bob-apple ^[3]
• Snarl – A slip-loop used for catching rabbites – as (verb) "To snarl rabbits"
• Sneck – The latch on a door or gate
• Sned – A word with more than one meaning
  • Sned – To cut off or lop off branches of a tree or the tops of turnips, to prune bare – as "Them busses is snedeet = Those bushes are pruned bare" ^[2]
  • Sned – To scold – as "He ga the dog a good sneddin" ^[2]
• Snell – Sharp, keen, applied to the weather – as "It's gey snell thi' day" ^[2]
• Sneud, Snub, Snood = The short piece of twisted hair or cord to which the hooks are attached in a fisherman's line ^[2]
• Snibble – A bar used for scotching tram wheels on inclined roads ^[2]
• Snicket – A narrow passageway between houses (also Ginnel or Gennel)
• Snipe – The beak of a bird, a snout, sometimes used sarcastically for a man's nose ^[2]
• Snitch – The nose, to tell tales -as "Don't snitch on me"
• Snoak – To smell and sniff as a dog does ^[2]
• Snob – A shoemaker – ("Now run away amang the snobs an stangies i' the Garth, man" – The Castle Garth at Newcastle was tenanted by shoemakers and tailors who were always called 'snobs and stangies'." – from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4) ^[2]
• Snod – Trim, spruce, neat – applied to character it means clever, careful, tactful – as "He's gey snod = He's a safe/careful man" ^[2]
• Snood – see Sneud
• Snook – A beack-like projecting headland as The Snook at Holy Island^[6]
• Snork – To snort as a horse does ^[2]
• Snot – Candle-snuff, The burnt wick of a candle ^[3]
• Snotter – A word with several meanings
  • Snotter – A wasted candle with the wax run down
  • Snotter – (verb) To snivel, to blubber
  • Snotter – Mucus from the nose
  • Snotter-Cloot – A handkerchief
• Snud – see Sneud
• So long – A parting salutation, meaning goodbye for the present. – (suggested derivation is either an Americanism, or from the Arabic Salaam and brought into Britain by soldiers who served abroad, although this word (meaning peace) is primarily a greeting)
• Soam, Soom, Sowm – A chain or rope trace ^[2]
• Sobble – To belabour, to thrash in a stand-up fight – as "Sobbling blows" ^[2]
• Sod – A sot -as "He's a greet sod"
• Sodger – The scarlet ladybird – as the local rhyme "Reed, reed sodger, flay away, and make the morn a sunny day"
• Soft, Softish – (of) Damp or foggy weather – as "Here's a soft day" ^[2]
• Sonny – A friendly term for fellow
• Sonsy. Good looking, pleasant, in a woman Buxom – as "Better be sonsy than soon up" – Old Newcastle proverb – and “William Purvis (Blind Willie) had a sonsy, contented… face” as in the book “Northumbrian Minstrelsy” by Bruce and Stokoe This book quotes”
• Sooker – A sapling (of Willow or Hazel) ^[2]
• Soom – A word with more than one meaning
  • Soom – see Soam – A chain or rope trace
  • Soom, Soum – To swim – as "Aw sooms an' aw dives like a duck" ^[2]
• Soond – Sound
• Sooth – South
• Sortain – Certain
• Soss – A word with more than one meaning
  • Soss – A heavy fall – "He went down with such a soss" ^[3]
  • Soss – To lap like a dog ^[2]
• Sottlings – Sediment, Settlings ^[3]
• Sough – see Seugh – A small stream or open gutter, a surface drain ^[2]
• Soum – see Soom ^[2]
• Sour Dockon – A small plant children pull and chew, The Common Sorrel ^[3]
• Sowm – see Soam
• Sowt – Sought
• Spadger, Spag, Spowey, Sprug, Spug, Spuggie, Spuggy – Various names of the house sparrow
• Spag – see Spadger
• Spail – see Spile
• Spane – see Spean
• Spang – A word with more than one meaning
  • Spang, Span – The distance stretched between thumb and little finger ^[3]
  • Spang – A bounding leap – as "He spanged ower the yett" ^[2]
• Spanghew – To strike with violence : "Then aw sprang-hew'd him weel, the gobby young cull,

But he danced like an imp full o' glee" – from "Asstrilly's Goold Fields" by Edward 'Ned' Corvan – To spanghew toads, etc., was a cruel game played by children in which the animal was set on a flat stick, balanced across a fulcrum, and the other end was struck so as to jerk the victim high into the air ^[2]

• Spangles, Sprakles – Specks of spar in rock ^[2]
• Spangy Wonnzies (or Oneses) – see Folly Tar ^[3]
• Spanish – Licorice or Spanish juice (pronounced Spenish) – The word is imporrted from Yorkshire and Lancashire ^[3]
• Spanny – Ill-natured, spiteful – as "A poor spanny sort o' a bairn" ^[2]
• Sparra – Sparrow
• Spart, Spert – The rush – as "The grun's varry sparty here aboot" ^[2]
• Speal – see Speel – To climb – or Spile – A wooden pike
• Spean, Spyen, Spane – To wean – as "The bairn was spean'd last week" ^[2]
• Speel, Speal – To climb, to mount, to move with agility – as "He speel'd the tree like a cat" ^[2]
• Speer – Inquire ^[3] – as "He speered abbot it afore ye cam"
• Spelk – A word with more than one meaning
  • Spelk – A splinter of wood -as "Aw've getten a spelk i' my hand"
  • Spelk – A little slim person – as "Nobbut a bit spelk ov a chep"
• Spice – Gingerbread, also currants mixed with other food
• Spice Cyek – Spice-cake, currant cake
• Spice Kyel or Spice-Kail – Soup with raisins added – see Kyel
• Spice Wig – A wig with currants – see Wig
• Spile, Spail, Speal, Spyel – A wooden pike, a splinter of wood, chips from an axe-cut – as "Aa's just getten a few spyels for the mornin's fire" ^[2]
• Spile-Driver – A pile-driver ^[2]
• Spink, Goldspink – The goldfinch ^[2]
• Spit an' image – Likeness either of a person or thing – as "He's the spit an' image of his fethor" ^[6])
• Spital – Corruption of word hospital – used in place names
• Spitting Image – see Spit an' image
• Spoach, Sproach – To pilfer – as "He's elways gan spoachin aboot"
• Spoacher – A poacher ^[2]
• Spoot – Spout
• Spowey – see Spadger
• Sprag – Mining term – A bar of wood inserted between the spokes of a coal-waggon to act as a drag
• Sprakles – see Spangles
• Sprat, Sprot – The rush ^[2]
• Spreckled – Speckled, spotted, spreckly ^[2]
• Spret – see Spart
• Sproach – see Spoach
• Sprot – see Sprat ^[2]
• Sprug – see Spadger
• Spug – see Spadger
• Spuggie or Spuggy – see Spadger
• Spunk – A word with more than one meaning
  • Spunk – Courage, spirit -as "He hes nee spunk at a' = he has no guts"
  • Spunk – A spark, a match, touchwood – as "Gi's a spunk = Give me a match" ^[2]
• Spyel – see Spile
• Spyen – see Spean
• Squint – A peep, not a defect of vision -as "Let's hev a squint at the papers"
• Squits – Quits
• Stainchel – see Stanchel
• Stairs – The name of many narrow alleys, mostly now disappeared although Breakneck, Tuthill, Long and Castle Stairs are among those surviving into the 21st century – ("Castle Garth Stairs" housed several clog shops as late as the 1930s; also "Dog Leap Stairs" is mentioned in the 1978 song ‘Down to the Waterline’ by Dire Straits)
• Staithes – (pronounced steeths) – A pier for loading coal onto ships
• Stanchel, Stainchel – A stanchion, an iron window bar, etc.
• Standard – A stager, well-known inhabitant of any place – as "Another old standard.., passed to his rest the week before – Another old stager died"
• Stane, Steen, Steeyen, Styen – Stone
• Stang, Sting – A pole, a post – as "Cairt stangs = beam and shafts" ^[2]
• Stangin-Ether – The dragonfly ^[2]
• Stanglies – Shoemakers and tailors – ("Now run away amang the snobs an stangies i' the Garth, man" – The Castle Garth at Newcastle was tenanted by shoemakers and tailors who were always called 'snobs and stangies'." – from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society 1893-4) ^[2]
• Stank – An embankment for damning back water ^[2]
• Stanners – Margins of rivers covered by deposits of stones and gravel
• Stap – A word with more than one meaning
  • Stap – A cask stave ^[2]
  • Stap – As in the saying "He's gyean a' te staps = He's going to pieces" ^[2]
• Stapel, Stapple – Mining term – A well, a small pit-shaft, an underground pit or a shaft within a pit ^[2]
• Starken – To become stiff in consistency – as "Starch starkens" – to cause to stiffen – as "to starken an egg = hard-boil it" – to become strong – as "Th'or gettin starkent a bit = of lambs growing" ^[2]
• Starkent – see Storkened – Stengthened, set up
• Stead – see Steede
• Steak – see Steek – either "a stitch" or "to kill"
• Steave, Steve – Firm, stout – as "A steve fellow" ^[2]
• Stede – see Steede
• Stee – A ladder used as a stair in farm houses ^[2]
• Steede, Stede, Stead, Stid – Place, a dwelling place – or "On-steed = An extension to a building" – see also Heap-steed = the place where a pit heap stands ^[2]
• Steek – A word with several meanings
  • Steek, Stick – A strike or labour dispute – as "A stick...a combination among the keelmen of Newcastle" re 1768 ^[2]
  • Steek, Steak, Streek, Strik – A stitch in sewing ^[2]
  • Steek, Steak, Streek, Strik – To kill – as "To stick a pig" ^[2]
  • Steer – To shut, to fasten – as "Steek the yet – Shut the gate" or "Steek the heck = Shut the door" ^[2]
• Steelyeard – A steelyard balance = A straight-beam balance with arms of unequal length with a counterweight which slides along the calibrated longer arm to counterbalance the load and indicate its weight (also known as a Roman Balance)
• Steen – see Stane
• Steep – To soak, in washing clothes
• Steer – Strong of the voice ^[3]
• Steg – A gander – see also FOND SEG = A stupid fellow ^[2]
• Stemmer – A brass rod for ramming down the clay, etc., in a blast hole ^[2]
• Stent – One's fill – as "He's had his stent = His appetite is satisfied"
• Steul – A buffet with three separate legs whereas a cobbler's stool has four
• Steve – see Steave
• Steyen – see Stane
• Stick and clout – Slang name for an umbrella ^[3]
• Stid – see Steede
• Stife – see Stythe – A choking fume ^[2]
• Stime – A thing – as "A canno' see a stime = My eyesight is very bad" ^[3]
• Sting – see Stang
• Stint – A word with more than one meaning
  • Stint – Fixed amount of work
  • Stint – An allowance of pasturage limited to grazing three sheep or one horse
• Stirk – (pronounced stauk) – A yearling calf ^[3]
• Stirken – To cool and stiffen, as gravy does ^[3]
• Stitch – A sudden pain -as "Aa've getten a stitch i' me side"
• Stite – Equally ^[3]
• Stithe – (pronounced staayth) – Stench, or a very close atmosphere ^[3]
• Stob – A stump or post – also a gibbet as in Winter's Stob near Elsdon
• Stob-Mat – A hearthrug of mat made of cloth-cuttings ^[2]
• Stobbie, Stubbie – Unfledged bird ^[3]
• Stocky – The stockdove ^[2]
• Stonie – Stallion (pronounced styani) ^[3]
• Stook – A word with more than one meaning
  • Stook – A pile of corn sheaves, twelve together, six on each side with two hood sheaves on the top
  • Stook – The remains of a pillar of coal after it has been 'jenkined' ^[2]
• Stoond – (noun) A violent pain – (verb) To ache – as "It's stoondin yit" ^[2]
• Stoor – A word with more than one meaning
  • Stoor – see Stower – A hedge-stake or a post
  • Stoor – Dust
• Stoory – A word with more than one meaning
  • Stoory – Dusty ^[2]
  • Stoory – Mulled beer ^[2]
• Stop – To stay, to dwell -as "Where are ye stoppin? = Where are you staying?- or – With whom are you living?"
• Stopple – A tube -as "A pipe stopple = Tobacco pipe"
• Storkened, Sturkent, Starkent – Stengthened, set up – as "Weel storkened = Of raising chicks" ^[2]
• Stort – Start
• Stot – A word with more than one meaning
  • Stot – A castrated ox of any age up to the second year, and unbroken to the yoke (archaic) ^[2]
  • Stot or Stott – To bounce -as "The hailstones wis stotin off the hoose-tops"
• Stottin' Ba' – A bouncing ball
• Stotty Cake, Stottie Cyak – A large flat cake of bread – an oven bottom cake
• Stour – A word with more than one meaning
  • Stour – see Stower – A hedge-stake or a post
  • Stour – Dust in motion ^[3]
• Stow – Stop -as "Stow that, now = Stop that immediately"
• Stowed oot – Over-full
• Stower, Stour, Stoor – A hedge-stake or a post – as "Dike-stower" or "Rice-and-stower" ^[2]
• Straa, Stray, Strea, Stree, Stro – Straw
• Straights – Seriously – as applied to a courting couple – "Ganning straights = Courting seriously"
• Strait – Narrow – as "Yon's a strait place" ^[3]
• Stramp – To trample upon -as "Dinna stramp ower the clean floor"
• Strang – Strong
• Stravaig – (noun) – A stroll – (verb) to stroll, to wander about – as "The faws went stravaigin wi' their cuddies = The tinkers went strolling with their donkeys/horses" from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Stravaigin – The act of walking about listlessly ^[2]
• Stray – see Straa
• Strea – see Straa
• Streak – see Steek either "a stitch" or "to kill"
• Stree – see Straa
• Streek – To stretch or lay out (of a corpse) ^[2]
• Street – A high road – (The old pack-horse road between Newcastle and Carlisle was called the Hee Street = The high street)
• Strenkle – To sprinkle – as "Strenkle a leapyt ov sugar on't" ^[2]
• Striddly Pigeon – A boys' game. A boy is blindfolded and stands with his legs stretched out. The other boys shy their caps between his legs. When all the caps have been thrown, the boys shout, "Strite (straight) on, striddly-pigeon !" The boy then walks straight on, until he touches a cap with his foot. The owner of the cap snatches it up and runs to a certain place and back again, the rest of the boys 'bleach'ing' him, that is, thrashing him about the head with their caps. As soon as the boy returns to the starting-place, he becomes 'pigeon' ^[3]
• Strik – see Steek either "a stitch" or "to kill"
• Strite – Straight
• Stro – see Straa
• Stubbie – see Stobbie – Unfledged bird ^[3]
• Stumle – To stumble – (as in many similar words the b is silent)
• Stumor – Stupid, a person difficult to handle – as "He's a stumor"
• Sturkent – see Storkened
• Styeble – Stable
• Styen – see Stane
• Styfe – Mining term – Choking smoke
• Stythe, Stife – Any very choking fume or smoke (especially in a pit) ^[2]
• Suchen'a – Such a ^[3]
• Sucking Calves – see Finger Cakes – Light cakes roughly shaped like a finger ^[3]
• Summat – Something
• Sump – Very wet – as "Sump wet = Wet to the skin" ^[3]
• Sun-Dog – An isolated spot of prismatic colours, usually seen well up in the northern parts of the sky ^[2]
• Sup – (noun) – A drop – as "A sup rain = A drop of rain" or "He likes a sup = Fond of a drop too much" – (verb) – to sup = to drink
• Suppah – supper
• Swad – A pod – as "A pea-swod, a bean-swad" ^[2]
• Swalley – A word with several meanings
  • Swalley, Swelly – Mining term – A gradual depression or dish in the strata ^[2]
  • Swalley – A hollow place – as "The village lies right in a swalley = The village lies in a valley"
  • Swalley – A hollow place, as in referring to the throat – as "My throat is sore just in the swalley" ^[3]
• Swallie – Swallow
• Swanky – Originally meant a strapping young fellow – now means posh
• Swape – The long oar formerly used at the stern of a keel on the Tyne (known around 1789) ^[2]
• Swapes – Mining term – Curved plates used for laying the railway in a mine at a sharp turn ^[2]
• Sweel – A word with several meanings
  • Sweel – To gutter, flare, (of a candle) to flicker and be about to go out ^[3]
  • Sweel – A gust of wind – as "The wind cam wi' sic a sweel roond the corner = The wind came gusting round the corner" ^[2]
  • Sweel – see Swill – A large open basket for carrying clothes, potatoes, etc.
• Sweer, Sweir – Unwilling, loth, obstinate – as "He wis sweer ti gan = He was unwilling to go" ^[2]
• Sweetin' – Sweating -as "Aa's sweetin like a mugger's cuddy = I'm sweating like a tinker's horse"
• Sweir – Unwilling, obstinate – "The's sweir ti pairt win his money = he's unwilling to spend his money" – and as "Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie through the Watter, Hawkie is a sweir beast, And Hawkie winna wade the watter." – from the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie through the watter" ^[13]
• Swelly – see Swalley – Mining term
• Swig – To take a heavy draught
• Swill, Sweet, Swull – A large open basket for carrying clothes, potatoes, etc. – as "Like whulps iv a swell = Of anything mixed up" ^[2]
• Swiney – Common Sow-thistle or Milk-thistle ^[3]
• Swul – see Swill
• Syeks – see Sikes – An exclamation
• Syke, Sike – A small rill, the feeder of a burn ^[2]
• Syne – Afterwards – as "Simey Haa gat lam'd of a leg an' syne ran wallowin hame." from the "Ballad of Featherstonhaugh" by Sir Walter Scott

• 'T – it -as "Get ahad on 't = get a hold on it"
• Ta' – To
• Taak -talk
• Taam – A word with more than one meaning
  • Taam – see Tawm – a rod line of hair for fishing
  • Taam – To doze, to go to sleep – as "He'll syun taam ower" ^[2]
• Taas – see Tawse
• Tab – A word with more than one meaning
  • Tab – a cigarette. A recent local word said to derive from a popular brand called Ogden's Tabs
  • Tab – The end of a strap outside the buckle, a flap of anything ^[2]
• Tac' – take
• Tackle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Tackle – to accost
  • Tackle – to do a job -as "Aa'll tackle that job"
• Taffy – toffee -as "Claggy taffy = sticky toffee"
• Tagareen – A word with more than one meaning
  • Tagareen – marine stores – but today deal scrap
  • Tagareen Man – the keeper of a Tagareen, but today, a scrap dealer – ("A 'tagareen man' has a floating shop which he rows about the tiers of ships, announcing his presence by a bell. His dealings are carried on by barter or cash, as may be convenient ; and old rope, scrap-iron, or other similar unconsidered trifles, are exchanged for the crockery or hardware with which the boat is stocked" from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Taistrel – An ill-mannered boy, also one given to playing pranks ^[3]
• Tait – A word with more than one meaning
  • Tait – A remonstrance – as "Tait man alive, ye manna de that" ^[2]
  • Tait, Tate, Tyet – A small quantity – as "A tait of straw = a handful" ^[2]
• Tak' – Take
• Take with – see Tyek with – Take to, appreciate
• Talent – Young ladies
• Tallian Iron – see Italian Iron – Device for making the waves in the frills of old women's caps ^[3]
• Tally – To keep account of goods – ("In delivering cargoes, one of the porter-pokemen usually 'keeps tally.' The number of bricks, or cheese, or bundles is counted as they are passed from hand to hand, the last man but one repeating the figures aloud. If the articles are counted singly they are called out up to the nineteenth; but instead of calling out 'twenty' the word tally is substituted; thus – 'eighteen, nineteen, tally.' The score is then marked by a simple line drawn with a piece of chalk. After four strokes are made, the fifth is drawn through them diagonally from left to right, like the cross-bar of a field gate, and the symbol one hundred is thus indicated. In counting articles that can be lifted in groups the tale is thus made – 'five, ten, fifteen, tally.'" from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Tally-Man – A credit draper
• Tang – A word with several meanings
  • Tang – (noun) – The part of aknife or other instrument which runs up into the handle ^[2]
  • Tang – (noun) – The pointed end of shoelace ^[2]
  • Tang – (noun) – The tongue or projection of a thing ^[2]
  • Tang, Teng – (verb) – To sting ^[2]
• Tanglin – Dangling ^[2]
• Tanklet – An icicle ^[2]
• Tanner – The root of a boil, corn, or tooth ^[3]
• Tappy – see Tawpy
• Tappy-lappy – to rush aimlessly and blindly -as "The twee boxers went ti'd tappy-lappy like a lowse winda shutter llappin, I' the wind"
• Tarrible – Terrible, used constantly as a mere adverb of degree – as "It's a tarrible wet day" ^[2]
• Tarry Towt – A single strand of rope steeped in tar ^[3]
• Tarzy – A round game. The players form a double ring by standing in a circle with a space between each, and the player standing in the centre then tries to 'tig' one of the others in the circle ^[3]
• Tash – Moustache
• Tat – To mat together – as "In tat = In clumps" ^[2]
• Tate – see Tait – A small quantity
• Tatie, Tetty – A potato
• Tatie-Boggle – A scarecrow
• Tatie-Garth – A potato field
• Tatty – Matted -as "What a tatty heed Mary hes"
• Taupy – see Tawpy
• Taw – Marble – but taken from the Yorkshire dialect
• Tawm, Taam, Towm – A rod line of hair for fishing ^[2]
• Tawpy, Taupy, Tappy – A headstrong, untidy girl, a rollicking, garrulous young woman, a foolish and sluttish woman – as "She's a reg'lar tawpy" ^[2]
• Tawse – A leather strap with end split into five toes or fingers used for hitting children
• Te- To -as "Aw went te Blaydon Races = I went to Blaydon Races" the song Blaydon Races written by George "Geordie" Ridley
• Teaahs – Tears
• Teas – Tea (in the plural when applied to "us") – as "Wor teas = Our teas" but still singular for "My tea"
• Teaser – A word with more than one meaning
  • Teaser – A problem, an annoyance -as "That's a teaser for ye"
  • Teaser – A fireman at a glass-house furnace (archaic) ^[2]
• Teave, Tyeav – To walk heavily through dirt or snow ^[2]
• Tee – Perfect -as "It fits him tiv a tee = It fits him perfectly"
• Teedy – Cross, peevish, fretful – as "She's varry teedy wiv her bit teeth, poor thing" ^[2]
• Teejy – Tedious, peevish ^[3]
• Teel – A blue, marly clay ^[2]
• Teelytoon – A teasing, fretful, wearisome child ^[2]
• Teem – A word with several meanings
  • Teem – Thin – as "He's varry teem leukin" ^[2]
  • Teem – To pour - as "Teeming doon = Raining cats and dogs" – or – "Teem oot the tea = Pour out the tea"
  • Teem – Mining term – To pour out, to empty – coals are said to be teemed down the loading spouts ^[2]
  • Teemer – Mining term – One in charge of pouring coal from the wagons into the ship
• Teethache – Toothache, usually referd to in the plural – also Tyoothwark
• Telly – Talkative
• Telly-pie – A tell-tale – from telly = talkative and pie = A magpie – ("Telly pie-tit, yor tongue shall be slit, an' aall the bairns i' wor street shall hev a little bit" is the famous children's rhyme, shouted after a tale-bearer or "tell-tale-tit")
• Telt – Told
• Ten O'clock – A snack taken at that time - as "He' ye had yor ten o'clocK yit – Have you eaten your snack (ten o'clock) yet?"
• Teng – see Tang (verb)
• Tetty – see Tatie
• Teufit, Tuifit – The peewit ^[2]
• Teuk – Took -as "Aa teuk the chance = I took the chance" or "So in we went and teuk wor seats, and afore aa rung the bell" from "Wor Nanny’s a mazer" by Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong
• Tew – A hard and laboured effort -as "Aa've tew'd at the job till aa's paid = I've struggled at the job but I'm now beaten"
• Tha - you (singular) - as "tha naas" = you know
• Thae – Those, that – as "What's a' thae smeyuk thonder?" ^[2]
• Thairm, Tharm – Catgut, fiddle-strings – as "As dry as thairm" ^[2]
• Thak – see Theek
• Thake – see Theek
• Tharf-Kyer – An unleavened cake made of barley-flour and whaat-meal with milk ^[2]
• Tharfly – Slowly, reluctantly – as "She's gan varry tharfly = Of a clock" ^[2]
• Tharm – see Thairm ^[2]
• The day – Today
• The morn – Tomorrow
• The neet – To-night – as "See thee the neet = I will meet you tonight"
• The reckly, The recklies – Directly
• Theak, Theek, Thake, Thak – Thatch – also (verb) to thatch ^[2]
• Thee – Yours
• Theek – see Theak
• Theor – There
• Thill – Mining term – The floor of a coal seam ^[2]
• Think-shyem – To feel ashamed
• Thinksta – Don't you think? – as "What thinksta, noo? = (literaly) What thnk you now?" ^[2]
• Thirl – To bore or drill ^[2]
• Thirlwall – Old name for the Roman Wall ^[2]
• Thivel, Thybel – A round stick, usually of willow to stir porridge ^[2]
• Thole – To bear, endure – as "Aa canna thole nee langer" ^[2]
• Thole Pin Bool – An iron plate attached to the oars of keels and wherries – and through this the Thole Pin passes ^[2]
• Thon, Thonder – Yon, yonder – as "Whe's thon? = Who's over there?" or "Whe's thon chep? = Who is that man" or "de ye see thon hoose ower there? = Do you see yon house over there" ^[2]
• Thoo – You or thou
• Thoosand, Thoosind – Thousand – as "Aw cud wlak'd a thoosind miles wi' Mary there" from Keep yor feet still Geordie hinny by Joe Wilson
• Thootle – To endure, to wait – "Aa canna thottle na langer = Cannot be put off any longer" ^[2]
• Thor – They are – as "Thor aa' gyen = they are all gone" or "It's aa ower = It's all over"
• Thor's – Thou is or you are
• Thors – There is – as "Thor's nowt to be afeared on = There's nothing to be afraid of"
• Thowt. – Thought -as "Aa wad a thowt se = I would have thought so" and "Aw dreamt thor was a dancin held, an' Mary Clark wes there; An' aw thowt we tript it leetly on the floor" from Keep yor feet still Geordie hinny by Joe Wilson
• Thraa – To turn by force, to twist – as "Thraa the key = Turn the key" or "Thraain an' reein = Turn (or wring) a fowl's neck" ^[2]
• Thrang- Busy – as "Are ye thrang the day?" ^[2]
• Threap, Threep, Threpe – To aver with pentinacity – as "He threaped doon through" ^[2]
• Three-Thrumbs – The purr of a cat – as "D'ye hear pussy singin three-thrums?" ^[2]
• Threep – see Threap
• Threpe – see Threap
• Thrimmel, Thrimle – To finger in a niggrdly mannerm etc., to pay reluctantly ^[2]
• Thrissel, Thristle – A thistle ^[2]
• Throng – (noun) – Busy, inconveniently crowded – as "The Toon's reet throng = The Town is crowded"
• Thropple – Throat, windpipe ^[3]
• Throstle = The song-thrush is sometimes called 'thros'le,' but more often 'greybird'^[3]
• Thrum – A word with more than one meaning
  • Thrum – To purr -as "D'ye hear hor thrummin? = Can you hear the cat purr?"
  • Thrum – To make a drumming noise – the Thrum at Rothbury was the place where the river Coquet narrowed and formed a cascade ^[6])
• Thrunty – Short, thick-set and sturdy – as "A thrunty bairn" ^[2]
• Thrussen – (past participle of) Thrust – as "The buds hes thrussen oot" ^[2]
• Thumpin – A word with more than one meaning
  • Thumpin – Big, hearty -as "There's thumpin luck to yon = Good luck"
  • Thumpin – Very, great – "Hev a thumpin good time – Enjoy yourself, have a very good time"
• Thybel – see Thivel
• Tice – Entice
• Ticket-Man – An itinerant trader -see Scotch Draper
• Tidy Betty – A short fender across the grate, without a bottom ^[3]
• Tied – Forced, bound – as "A's tied to gan – I'm forced to go" ^[3]
• Tig – A sharp blow as in the game of tiggy
• Tiggy – The child's game of "Touch"
• Time – An apprenticeship – as "Aa sarved me time tiv a shoemaker"
• Timmer – Timber – also CROSS TIMMER and BELLY TIMMER
• Timse, Temse – A sieve ^[2]
• Tingal – A patch of wood over a rent in a coble to prevent it leaking ^[2]
• Tinker – The ten-spined stickleback ^[2]
• Tipcat – also Kit Cat – A child's game played with a small tapered piece of wood, which is "tipped" up into the air and hit with a larger stick ^[3]
• Tiplay – To play -as "The bairns hez all getten gords tiplay wi' = The children have all got hoops to play with"
• Tite – Soon, willing – as "Tite as I can" or "Titer him nor me" ^[2]
• Titty -Sister
• Tiv – To -as "As seun as aa hord him, aa gans up tiv him = As soon as I heard him, I went up to him" – from the Anglo Saxon word for go.
• To – A word with more than one meaning
  • To – By – as "She's getten a son to 'im = She's got a son by him,' i. e. by him)
  • To – For – as "What'll ye tak to your breakfast? = What will you have for your breakfast" ^[3]
• To reets – Right – usually in the expression "Put to reets = To keep orderly or To correct"
• Tod see Dodd – A fox
• Token – Mining term – A ticket, of tin, leather or similar, affixed to each tub of coals, stating details
• Tommy Hack – Mining tem – A heavy pick, weighing about 7 lbs., with head about 18 in. in length, round head and chisel point – see also Jack ^[3]
• Tommy Noddy – A word with more than one meaning
  • Tommy Noddy – The puffin
  • Tommy Noddy – also applies to dwarfs – as "Tommy noddy, big head an' little body = a taunt"
• Tool – Towel
• Toom – A word with several meanings
  • Toom – The day or time for the dismissal of hinds, when they are hired afresh ^[3]
  • Toom – Change of position – as of an invalid "He canna bide a tume noo = He can't stand a change of raiment or position now" (very archaic) ^[3]
  • Toom – Mining term – (pronounced yoom) Empty, as used of coal-waggons ^[3]
• Toon – Town, in particular Newcastle (which is actually a City and not a town and has been since 1882)
• Toon Army -Newcastle United football fans
• Toor, Tour – A tumult, a great disturbance with fuss and noise, dust in motion ^[2]
• Tormit – A turnip.
• Torn – Turn -as "He's had one of his bad torns = He's had one of his bad turns"
• Tour – see TOOR
• Tove – To make a dense smoke – as "Tovin an' smyukin" ^[2]
• Towm – see Tawm – A rod line of hair for fishing
• Towser – Relating to 'two'
• Towsher – Scruffy person
• Toyte – To totter, as in old age ^[2]
• Tradgy – A boy's game (like rounders) ^[2]
• Traik – Dead mutton as opposed to butchered mutton ^[2]
• Tram – The sledge or carriage on which corves of tubs were formerly carried – trams and tubs are now made in one ^[2]
• Tram-Plates – see Plates – The rails on which colliery trams are run
• Translator – A cobbler who transformed worn boots into wearable ones – A Castle Garth cobbler. Worn boots and shoes were bought and cobbled, or translated, into wearable articles by those now nearly obsolete craftsmen, whose shops lined the Castle Garth Stairs in Newcastle, and divided the Black Gate shops with those of the old clothiers.^[6]) – ("But man, when the Garth aw espied, Aw was nowther to had or to bin, man; For translators and tailors aw cried, But the devel a yane aw could find, man" – from the folk song, The High Level Bridge by Joseph Philip (J.P.) Robson, "Bard of the Tyne and Minstel of the Wear"
• Trapper – A boy who opens and shuts the air-doors in a pit ^[2]
• Trash – to wear out with overwork -as "Aa's trashed ti deed = I'm worn out"
• Tret – Treated (past participle of treat) – as "The bairns had been badly tretten"
• Trig – A word with more than one meaning
  • Trig – The starting line in a race – as "Toe the trig"
  • Trig – Neat, spruce, true, reliable – as "Trig as a lennard = Spruce as a linnet" ^[2]
• Trim – To level coals as they are loaded on to a ship
• Trimmers – Men who with shovels and rakes trim the coal on a boat – see George Clementson Greenwell's Coal Trade Terms, 1888
• Trippet and Quoit – A game – see Buck-Stick ^[3]
• Trod – A beaten path, a track ^[2]
• Trolly-Bags – A part of tripe ^[2]
• Troon – A mason's trowel ^[3]
• Troons, Trones – Weighing scales, steelyeard (or steelyard) – as "Brng the trones an' let's wee this cabbish" ^[2]
• Trow – A Trough ^[3]
• Truth – The old proverb "The truth goes farthest" the common overture to a confession ^[3]
• Tub – Originally a mining bucket – now a shaped rail wagon, -("Originally a mining bucket, now specially applied to the open-topped box of wood or iron, mounted on wheels, in which coal is brought from the face to the surface. It has supplanted the old "corf," which was a basket carried on a tram. The tram and tub are now, in most cases, a single structure. The tub, containing twenty-four pecks, has an inside measurement of three feet in length, thirty inches in width, and twenty-six in depth. Tub-loaders, hewers who hew and fill the empty tubs at times when the pit is not drawing coals." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society, 1893-4)
• Tug – To rob (a nest) ^[3]
• Tuifit – see Teufit – The peewit
• Tummel – Fell -as "Aa nearly tummeled off = I nearly fell off"
• Tup – see Tyup – A ram
• Turbot – The common name for halibut on the Northumberland coast
• Twank – to punish with a strap or cane
• Twee – Two
• Twill, Twull – A word with more than one meaning
  • Twill, Twull – A quill, a quill-oen, a spool ^[2]
• Twilt, Twult – A quilt ^[2]
• Twiney – Invalid, peevish – as "She's but twiney, poor body" or "Twisty-twiney = of a constantly crying child" ^[2]
• Twist – A word with more than one meaning
  • Twist – Quarrel, disagreement – as "They're all atwist = They are all disagreeing" or "Hes thoo hadden a twist? = Have you had an argument?" ^[3]
  • Twist – Discontented ^[3]
• Twitch-Bell – Ear-wig, or "Arse-wriggler" ^[3]
• Twizle – To pliat or twist ^[2]
• Twull – see Twill
• Twult – see Twilt
• Tye – Tea
• Tyeav – see Teave – To walk heavily through dirt or snow
• Tyebble – Table
• Tyed – A toad – different from a frog (= a Paddock) ^[2]
• Tyed-Styul – Toadstool ^[2]
• Tyek – To take – many grades of meaning – as "He tyeks efter the fethor = He is like his father"
• Tyek on – Take on, become serious in a relationship – "She an' hims tyen on = They have become attached."
• Tyek with – Take to, appreciate – (The 'with' means 'to' )
• Tyest – Taste
• Tyet – see Tait – A small quantity
• Tyeuk -Took
• Tyeuth-Wark – see Teethache
• Tyke – A Yorkshireman
• Tyoothwark – see Teethache ^[3]
• Tyuk – Took – as "For Shields next day they sail'd wi' coal, And tyeuk on board a Quaker" from "Hydrophobie" by Robert Emery
• Tyum, Tteyum – Empty ^[2]
• Tyup – A ram ^[2]
• Tyupe – Mining term – as Bussing the tyupe – Before laying the pit in for holiday time, it was usual to draw all the corves to bank to be dired and fettled. The last corf was half filled with clay, and on this the tyup (ram's horn) was laid, whilst as many lighted candles as possible were stuck into the clay ^[2]

• Um-hum – A murmur of assent
• Un – This prefix is used to begin many word instead of "in--"
• Unbeknaan – Without knowledge of
• Unc – see Unco
• Uncanny – Supernatural -as "She hes an uncanny way wiv her"
• Unco – A word with more than one meaning
  • Unco, Unc, Unka, Unked – Unknown, strange, uncommon – as "What he' ye unc at Rotbury? – An unka place" from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society 1893-4)
  • Unco – Very – as "He was unco glad"
• Under-rug – see Ootrug – The backwash or outward under-current near rocks against which the waves beat ^[2]
• Understrapper – Underling
• Unfaa – A sever cold (influenza) – as "She's tyen an unfaa" ^[2]
• Unfeel – Unpleasant, uncomfortable (re weather) ^[2]
• Unka, UnkedD – see Unco
• Unpatient – Impatient ^[3]
• Unsneck – To unlatch a door
• Unthank – A place name found (originally three times, now twice) in Northumberland, one near Alnham and another near Haltwhistle – probably meant the land was difficult to work or ungrateful
• Up-a-heet – Aloft ^[2]
• Up the duff – Pregnant
• Upby – A direction ^[2]
• Upcast – A word with more than one meaning
  • Upcast – To bring up as an example – as "Yor elwis upcastin yor greet cosin Jim, just as if thor wis nebody ekwil te him = You're always mentioning (your great cousin) Jim as if there's no-one equal to him"
  • Upcast – Mining term – A fault etc. in strata ^[2]
• Upgrown – Grown up, adult ^[3]
• Uproar – Confusion – not necessarily implying noise – as of a house "Upside down = Untidy
• Upside down – To be untidy, to have an untidy room, as on washing-day, etc."
• Upstannin' – A word with more than one meaning
  • Upstannin' = Upstanding, regular, fixed, constant
  • Upstannin' – Mining term – Standing – old workings where the roof had not fallen in
  • Upstannin' wage – A regular wage paid even when no work was or could be done
• Uptak – Understanding – as "He wes slow i' the uptak"
• Us – Used for me – as "Wiv us = With me"
• Used with – Used to, accuctomed to (The 'with' means 'to')

• Vsguing – Idling ^[2]
• Varnigh – Very near
• Varra – Very -as "It's varra caad oot bye = It's very cold outside"
• Vast – Great, great deal – as "Thor wis a vast o' folk i' the chepil = There were a vast number people in the Chapel"
• Vend – Former system of regulating the output of collieries – now used as a general term for output ^[2]
• Vennel – A narrow lane, as for example used in Durham City – also a drain, usually down the middle of a narrow lane or alley
• Viewer – The manager of a colliery
• Vine – A lead pencil (originally the type to write or draw on a slate)
• Voky – Damp, moist, juicy ^[2] – (according to John Trotter Brockett) ^[12]

• Waad – Would
• Waak – Walk -as "Waakt = Walked"
• Waal – A wall
• Wad – Would -as "Aa wad a thowt se = I would have thought so"
• Waddent – Wouldn't -as "Aa waddent demean mesel to de sic a thing"
• Waes-me – Woe is me, a common exclamation ^[2]
• Waff – A puff or rush or wind – as "The waff o' the train" – or A glimpse – as "Aa just gat a waff on him = An apparition...a portent that the person thus seen is about to die" ^[2]
• Wafters – Swords made with blunt edges for performers like sword dancers – they may also have had handles at each end
• Wag – Truant -as "Play the wag = Play truant from school"
• Wag at the waa – A caseless clock in which the weights and the wagging pendulum are visible
• Waggon way, Waggonway – A colliery line of rail, originally made of wood
• Waigle – To stagger along unsteadily, as in carrying a heavy load – as "Aa could hardly waigle wi' the poke" ^[2]
• Waigly – Unsteadily ^[2]
• Wairch, Wairesh – see Wairsh ^[2]
• Wairsh, Wairch, Wairesh, Wearsh – Insipid – as food without salt – or Frail-looking – as "He's varru wairsh like" ^[2]
• Wale, Weyel, Wyel – A word with more than one meaning
  • Wale, Weyel, Wyel – (noun) The choice, pick, or best of anything – as "The wale of the family" ^[2]
  • Wale, Weyel, Wyel – (verb) To sort, pick out – as "Wale me an orange" ^[2]
• Walleydrag, Walleydraigle – A draggletail, a wastrel, a wanderer ^[2]
• Wally – Jolly, merry, happy – as "A wally time on't" ^[2]
• Wamble, Wammel – To turn topsy-turvey, to spin – as "The bord wammelt ower an' ower as it fell = The bird turned over and over as it fell" ^[2]
• Wame – A word with more than one meaning
  • Wame, Wyem – The stomach, the belly wampish ^[2] – and as "But an John Ridley thrust his spear, Right through Sim o' the Cathill's wame" from The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle) by Sir Walter Scott ^[15]
  • Wame – To entangle – as "The rope's wampish'd" ^[2]
• Wammel – see Wamble
• Wang – Short for Wanging the Monkey a comical term for taking unwarranted leave otherwise known as skiving.
• Wankle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Wankle, Wankelly – Changeable, precarious – as "The weather's wankelly = The weather is changeable" ^[2]
  • Wankle – Undependable – as "He's rether a wankle, that yen = He's rather undependable is that one" ^[2]
• Wappin – Huge, great, whopping – as "A wappin tormit = A giant turnip" ^[2]
• Wappy – A wasp ^[2]
• War, Waur – Worse – as "War an' war = Worse and worse" ^[2]
• Warden – Church warden – An abbreviation used and accepted by all classes (archaic) ^[3]
• Wark – A word with several meanings
  • Wark – Ache – as "Tyeuth-wark – or Heed-wark" ^[2]
  • Wark – Work – (not a local word but a local pronunciation)
  • Wark folk – Work people
• Warld – The world
• Warn, Warnd – Warrant, suppose – as "Aa-warnd ye think yorsel' clivvor? = I suppose you think yourself clever?"
• Warse, Worse – Worse
• Warsel, Worsel – A struggle, to wrestle, to struggle ^[2]
• Warse-like, Worse-like – Worse looking – as "A warse-like place aa never seed = A worse looking place I've never seen"
• Warsh – Faint, from loss of food ^[3]
• Wase or Weeze – A folded cloth, or bundle of straw, placed upon the head, on which to rest the "Skeel" q. v.^[3]
• Wat Cheor – A common Geordie salutation = What cheer
• Watter, Wattor – Water – as in the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie through the Watter" – from the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie through the watter" ^[13]
• Wauf – Sick, dizzy ^[2]
• Waur – see War
• Wax – To grow – as "He's waxin a fine lad" ^[2]
• Wear, Wee-ar – To cause to veer, to direct – as "Wear them sheep inti the field there – Divert (or direct) those sheep into that field" ^[2]
• Wearsh – see Wairsh
• Webbit – But, well...but, why...but, but… – as "Webbit, aa winna gan = But I won't go" ^[2]
• Wee or Weeny – Little, small – as "Move up a wee bit or a weeny bit of cheese"
• Wee-ar – see Wear
• Weel – Well – as "Hap weel up = Wrap yourself up"
• Weeny – see Wee
• Wees – We are
• Weeze – see Wase
• Well-fard – Good-looking – (see Fard)
• Welt – To lash
• Weor – Where
• Wersel – see Worsel, Wor sell – Ourself
• Wes – Was
• Wesh – Wash – as "Wesh thee fyess = Wash your face"
• Wey – As in "Wey-Aye" – see Whey-aye
• Weyel – see Wale (noun and verb)
• Wez – see Wes
• Whaap, Whaup – To whistle, to whine ^[2]
• Whaing, Whang, Wheang – A large slice, a strip especially a thong or lace, a boot-lace
• Whammie – see Whemmie
• Whang – SEE Whaing
• Wharry – A quarry ^[2]
• What cheer – see Wat cheor – A commonest greeting
• What for – What for, because, why
• Whaten, What'n or What'na' – What kind of? – see also "'Whichen'a" and "Suchen' " ^[3]
• Whaup – see Whaap
• Whe – Who -as "Whe are ye coddin? = who are you kidding?"
• Wheang – see Whaing
• Whemmie, Whammie, Whummie – To turn anything completely over ^[2]
• Whey aye – Of course
• Wichen'a, Whichen'a one – Which, which one ^[3]
• Whick – see Wick – Alive, living ^[2]
• Whickens – see Wickens ^[2]
• Whicken-Tree – The mountain ash tree ^[2]
• Whiles – At times, sometimes, now and then, ever and anon – as "Aa whiles meet him i' the mornins = I sometimes meet him in the mornings" ^[2]
• Whilk – Which – (now obsolete) ^[2]
• Whin – A word with more than one meaning
  • Whin – Gorse
  • Whin, Whun-Styun – A type of ingneous (granite) rock found on the Pennines to the north and south of the Tyne valleys, an intensely hard rock
• Whinge – To whine – applied to dogs and children – as "A whingin bairn"
• Whirligig – A boy's iron hoop – The wooden hoop only is called a Hoop
• Whisht – Be quiet -as "Whisht lads, haad yor gobsas – from the Lambton Worm"
• Whitrack, Whitreek, Whutreek – A weasel – as "To run like a whutreek = i.e. fast" ^[2]
• Whitreek – see Whitrack
• Whulpin – Falling to pieces – as "Jeest at the whulpin = On the point of falling asunder" ^[2]
• Whumlick – see Humlick – Common hemlock ^[2]
• Whummie – see Whemmie
• Whun-Styun – see Whin
• Whurry – A wherry, a manually powered large rowboat – as "Aw thowt aw'd myek a voyge to Shiels, Iv Jemmy Joneson's whurry" from Jemmy Joneson’s Whurry by Thomas Thompson
• Whutreek – see Whitrack
• Why aye – see Whey aye
• Wi – With
• Wick – A word with several meanings
  • Wick – Quick (substantive) – as "He's cut his finger into the wick = He's cut his finger to the quick" ^[3]
  • Wick – Lively or active
  • Wick – (of a dog) Alive or crawling – as "A dog wick with fleas = Crawling with fleas"
• Wickens – Underground stems and roots of field weeds generally
• Wid – With it
• Widdle – see Wuddle
• Widdy – A word with more than one meaning
  • WIiddy, Wuddy, Withy – A band of twisted willow twigs, a noose; the widdy – the gallows ^[2]
  • Widdy – The gallows ^[2]
• Wife – Any staid woman, married or single – as "Hi canny wife" – or – "Aad wives tales" – or – "Midwife" – or – "Fishwife"
• Wig – A tea-cake, a yeasted cake with kneading in it. – ("'A spice wig' is one with currants. Tea-cake is the modern name for this. The story goes that a Newcastle lass, in service in London, enquired where she could get some wigs. Being directed to a barber's shop, she astonished the 'artiste' by asking the price of his 'spice wigs,' as she wanted half a dozen for tea." from R (Richard) Oliver Heslop's 'Northumberland Words' in 2 vols, English Dialect Society 1893-4)
• Wiggery waggery – Loose motion in walking ^[3]
• Wilk, Willok, Wullok, Wulk – Penny-wilk – a periwinkle, the edible sea-shell fish Turbo littoreus, L. ^[2]
• Will – Shall – as "We will be very glad to see you = We shall be glad ----" ^[3]
• Willok – see Wilk
• Willy Blindy – A game played by boys. One boy is blindfolded, and the rest tie knots in their handkerchiefs, and strike him on the head or shoulders, until he catches hold of one of them. This one then becomes the 'willy' ^[3]
• Win – A word with several meanings
  • Win – Mining term – Used in coal mining to describe arriving by sinking at the coal seam to win the coal
  • Win – With – as "Win her faither"
  • Win – Harvest -as "To win the hay = To harvest the hay crop"
  • Win, Wun – To go or come – as "Aa saa him win doon the street this minute = I saw him coming down the street very recently" or "He wan to the hoose = He went (or came) to the house" ^[2]
• Winda – Window
• Winna, Wunna, Winnet – Will not – as "Aa winna be fashed wi' ye" or "He winnet end there, ye'll see" ^[2] – also as in the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie, Ca' Hawkie through the Watter, Hawkie is a sweir beast And Hawkie winna wade the watter" – from the Geordie song "Ca' Hawkie through the watter" ^[13]
• Winnet – see Winna
• Winter – The bracket hooked on to the bars of a grate, upon which anything may be heated in front of the fire ^[3]
• Wis – Was -as "It wis se coggly = it was so unsteady"
• Wise – To let, to let in/out, etc. – as "Wise the dog out = Let the dog out" or "Oppen the yett an' wise the coo in = Open the gate and let the cow in" ^[2]
• Wishful – Desirous ^[3]
• Wite, Wyte – Weight, blame – as "He got time wyte on't" ^[3]
• Withy – see Widdy – Twisted twigs
• Wiv – With – as "Wiv a coal in each hand"
• Wivoot – Without – as "It's lone wivoot him = It's lonely without him"
• Wizen – To shrivel, to dry up – as "Old wizen-kited quine = Shirvelled old hag" ^[2]
• Woman body – A female – as "They should get some decent woman-body ti leuk efter the bairns" ^[2]
• Wonnzes – Relating to 'one'
• Wor – My or our -as "Ax wor lass = Ask my wife" – from the Old English word "oor"
• Wor lad – Usually refers to a brother, or to a mutual male friend - as "Seen wor lad?" = "Have you seen our mate?"
• Wor lass – Wife, girlfriend, or sister – Wor means 'my' or 'our'.
• Wor bairn - Our, or my, child. Sometimes a term of affection for a mutual friend.
• Worm – (pronounced wor-rum or warm) – A serpent – (e.g. the Lambton Worm, the "Dragon-Worm" of Sockburn near Neasham, Darlington and The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh ^[9] near Bamburgh) – from Scandinavian
• Worrit – To worry -as "He set his dog on to worrit wor cat"
• Worse – see Warse – Worse
• Worse-like – see Warse-like
• Worsel – A word with several meanings
  • Worsel, Wor sell – Ourself
  • Worsel – see Warsel – A struggle, etc.
• Wot cheor – see Wat cheor – Hello – a greeting
• Wow – To mew, to complain peevishly ^[2]
• Wowl – To howl, cry
• Wrang – Wrong -as "Wrang iv his heed = Dearranged"
• Wrat – see Rat – A wart
• Wreknel – see Recklin' – The last born
• Wrench – see Range – To rinse ^[2]
• Wuddle – A word with more than one meaning
  • Wuddle, Widdle – To do anything slowly or laboriously – as "He wuddled on a' day an' did nowt"
  • Wuddle – To persevere – as "Aa'll wuddle through" ^[2]
• Wuddy – see Widdy – Twisted twigs
• Wulk – see Wilk – A periwinkle
• Wullemot, Wullyment – The guillemot ^[2]
• Wullok – see Wilk – A periwinkle
• Wun – see Win – To go or come
• Wunna – see Winna
• Wyeberries – The fruit of the red whortleberry or wine-berry ^[2]
• Wyel – see WALE (noun and verb)
• Wyem – see WAME – The stomach
• Wylam Dilly – The name of an old engine dating back to c. 1815, the Wylam Dilly is one of the oldest surving engines and was used on the Wylam railway (or Waggonway)
• Wynd – A narrow street as in Darlington or Yarm
• Wyte – see Wite ^[2]

There are no words beginning with "X"

• Yaad, Yaud, Yad – A work horse or mare – as "Aad Yaad Ford" ^[2]
• Yaap – A word with more than one meaning
  • Yaap – see Yap – a brat ^[2]
  • Yaap, Yawp – Hungry – as "He's varry yawp" ^[2]
• Yad – see Yaad
• Yak – A heavy blow
• Yakker – A manual worker – see "Pit yakker =A pitman" – or – "Farm yakker = A farm worker"
• Yal, Yaul, Yald, Yauld, Yawl – Active, powerful, nimble – as "A yawl horse" – or – "Man, yo'r a yald un!" ^[2]
• Yald – see Yal
• Yalla Clay – A hearthstone – now remembered because it was sold by Cushie Butterfield in the song by George "Geordie" Ridley ^[8]
• Yam, Yem – Home
• Yammer – To whine or complain -as "Giv ower yammerin = Stop whining" – Especially applied to children
• Yap, Yaap, Yaup, Yep, Yip – A brat, an impudent or forward boy, etc. – A brat, an impudent lad
• Yark – To thrash soundly -as "Aa'll yark yor hide for ye = I'll smack your bottom"
• Yarker – Of large size – "It's a yarker, noo" ^[2]
• Yarkin – Heavy, large – as "A yarkin tettie = A big potato" ^[2]
• Yate – A gate, as in road or street – not a field gate ^[2]
• Yaud – see Yaad
• Yaul, Yauld – see Yal
• Yaup – see Yap
• Yawl – see Yal
• Yawp – see Yaap – Hungry
• Ye, Yee – You
• Ye a'reet – Are you alright
• Ye've – You have
• Yearl – see Arle – To bind by payment of money or arles ^[2]
• Yee – see Ye
• Yel – Ale
• Yelhoose or Yellhoose. – Alehouse – as "at ivery yellhoose i' this toon we had a cocktail pot" from The Pitman’s Happy Times by Joseph Philip (J.P.) Robson, "Bard of the Tyne and Minstel of the Wear"
• Yella Yowley, Yowley, Yellow Yowley – The yellow-hammer ^[3]
• Yellerish, Yellish, Ellerish – Weird, dismal ghostly ^[2]
• Yellows – Wild mustard ^[2]
• Yellow-Top – Ragwort ^[2]
• Yellow-Yowley – see Yella Yowley^[2]
• Yem, Yam – Home
• Yen – One
• Yensel – Oneself – as "Ye should dee'd yensel" ^[2]
• Yep – see Yap ^[2]
• Yer or Yersel' – see Yor, Yorsel'
• Yese – You shall – as "Yese come when aa tell ye, mind = Remenber, You will come when I call you" ^[2]
• Yetling – A small crock – a miniature kail-pot – see also Kail-pot ^[3]
• Yett – A (field) gate
• Yetun, Ettin – A bogle, a giant or supernatural inhabitant of an old castle (OE eoten) ^[2]
• Yeuk, Yuck, Yucky, Yooku – To itch, itchy – as "If aa get ahad o' ye, aa'll gar ye scart where ye're not yucky = (as supposedly said by a policemen to a boy in Newcastle" ^[2]
• Yewfir – A young fir-tree about the girth of a mans's arm ^[3]
• Yip – see Yap ^[2]
• Yit – Yet
• Yoke – (verb) – To 'put in' a horse to a vehicle – This is distinct from 'harnessing' or putting the harness on his back. Etc.^[3]
• Yokin-time – The time of starting of any kind of work ^[2]
• Yon – That one over there
• Yooku – see Yeuk
• Yool, Yowl, Yule – To yell, to shout out loudly, to howl like a hurt dog ^[2]
• Yor – Your
• Yorsel' – Yourself
• Youngen' – Brother
• Yowl – see Yool
• Yowley – see Yella Yowley
• Yuck, Yucky – see Yeuk
• Yule – see Yool
• Yule-babby, Yul-doo – A baby figure made of a flat cake of gingerbread or currant cake, and sold to children – the arms are folded across, and two currants are put in for eyes – they are made from. yule or Christmas dough.
• Yule-clog – A Yule log ^[3]
• Yur – Your
• Yuven – An oven ^[2]

There are no words beginning with "Z"

(*nil Ref) The vast majority of the words are taken from Spotter Book 21 Geordie To English Dictionary (1990 – revised 2007). Additional material has been taken from other sources, including books, magazines, songs, web-sites etc., and are credited here.

1 A new entry from The new Geordie Dictionary^[6]

2 Additional material added from The new Geordie Dictionary^[6]

3 A new entry from The Free Dictionary by Farlex^[3]

4 Additional material added from Robert Wilson M.D. (19th century)|Robert Wilson Coal mines of Durham and Northumberland Trans. of Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club vol.6, 203-4"^[7]

5 A new entry from Palgrave's Word List^[21]

6 Additional material added from Palgrave's Word List^[14]

7 A new entry from Northumberland 1880s (R. (Richard) Oliver Heslop)^[2]

8 Additional material added from Northumberland 1880s (R. (Richard) Oliver Heslop)^[2]

9 References from "John Hodgson (antiquary)#The History of Northumberland|A history of Northumberland" by John Hodgson (antiquary)|Rev John Hodgson, Clerk, M.R.S.L., Vicae of Welpington, Perpetual Curate of Jarrow with Heworth, Secretary to the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, &c. &c 1832"^[5]

10 Reference from John Trotter Brockett's Glossary of North Country Words, 1825^[12]

11 Reference from John Trotter Brockett's Glossary of North Country Words, 1829^[22]

12 Reference from John Trotter Brockett's Glossary of North Country Words, 1846^[11]

13 From the song "My Laddie Sits Ower Late"^[4]

14 Reference from "The Earsdon Sword Dance"^[10]

15 Reference from "The Coble and Keelboat society"^[16]

16 Reference to Cullercoats^[17]

17 Reference to the Dunting Stone^[23]

18 From the song "The Colliers Rant"^[19]

19 From the song "Wor Nannies a Mazor"^[20]

20 From the song "Cushie Butterfield" by George "Geordie" Ridley^[8]

21 Reference to An impartial history of the town and county of Newcastle upon Tyne and its ... By John Baillie (divine)|John Baillie^[18]

22 From the story of The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh^[9]

23 From the song "The Pitman's Pay; or, "A Night's Discharge to Care" by Thomas Wilson (poet)|Thomas Wilson^[24]

24 From the song "Ca' Hawkie through the watter"^[13]

25 From the story of The Fray of Hautwessel (Haltwhistle)^[15]

• Language varieties – Newcastle English ("Geordie") (see the paragraphs on “sounds” and “grammar”
• Newcastle & the North – C19-1: John Trotter Brockett’s North Country Words
• Northumberland words. A glossary of words used in the County of Northumberland and on the Tyneside
• Joseph Philip (J.P.) Robson – Songs of the Tyne – summary of words used in his songs
• The Pitman's Pay – or – A Night's Discharge to Care. by Thomas Wilson
• Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics – Auld Man tae the Oak Tree
• Come Geordie—Ha’d the Bairn – or – Aw wish thy Muther wad cum
• Many Tyneside songs – archived – full text of “Thomas Allan (publisher)|Thomas Allan’s Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings: with Lives, Portraits, and ….”
• Northumberland Words – A Glossary of Words Used in the County of Northumberland and on the Tyneside – by R Oliver Heslop – Volume IJ
• Hi Canny man, hoy a ha’penny oot
• Lost in translation
• Broom Buzzems – by William Purvis (Blind Willie)
• Ca' Hawkie through the Watter
• Strange local words and sayings #8
• Folk and traditional song lyrics – Geordie’s Penka
• The Geordie Cook Book by Peggy Howey. Paperback: 40 pages Publisher: Butler Publishing; New edition edition (19 May 1989)

• England's North East
• Virtual Tourist