Yorkshire phrases and what they mean

Yorkshire is known for its delicious food, beautiful countryside and best of all; its friendly and welcoming locals.

The best Yorkshire phrases

Yorkshire has a diverse range of dialects and phrases that are used in common conversations. You probably won't have heard most of these phrases if you're not from Yorkshire. But don't worry, my blog will help you transition into the Yorkshire slang seamlessly.

Ey up

This phrase can be used in a variety of ways. It can sometimes be used as a greeting or to attract someone's attention. It's common for people to use this phrase when they see one another.

How to use it: "Ey up Maleehah, I haven't seen you in ages!"

Love

A friendly term for someone, this is a common phrase that is deemed as a friendly gesture. It's not always to be interpreted in a romantic context.

How to use it: "Hiya love, how are you feeling?"

Tarra

This is a good way to say 'goodbye' and is one of my favourite slang phrases! It's quite old school but a snappy way of saying bye to your friends or anyone really.

How to use it: "Tarra love, see you next Saturday!"

Ta

'Ta' is classic slang for saying 'thank you!' You can use it for saying thank you for anything really.

How to use it: "Ta, that's lovely."

Aye

This means 'yes' and you'll hear this phrase quite a lot - it's quite popular.

How to use it: "Aye, I'll be down in ten minutes."

Chuffed

If someone is chuffed, it means they're excited or happy to see something. This one is a really common one and I hear it all the time.

How to use it: "I'm well chuffed with my grades!"

Nowt

You can use this instead of saying 'nothing'. I still use this all the time if someone makes me repeat myself or if there is nothing to say.

How to use it: "I've got nowt to say".

Cuppa or brew

Both of these are slang for a 'cup of tea'. You can use either and people will understand exactly what you mean.

How to use it: "Please can I have a brew?" or "This cuppa is lovely."

Faffin'

This means 'messing' and is normally used to tell someone to stop doing something. I always used to hear this in school when I was growing up when teachers used to get annoyed at us for not sitting still or listening. What a memory!

How to use it: "Stop faffin' around!"

Vexed

In a setting where someone is upset or disappointed, you often hear them say they are vexed. It simply means that they are upset, disappointed or sometimes angry.

How to use it: "That shirt I wanted is sold out. I'm well vexed."

Be reet

This is a way you can say 'it'll be alright'. It's normally used after a minor inconvenience or to try make someone feel better about something.

How to use it: "Don't worry about it, it'll be reet." 

Jammy

This is another way to say someone is 'lucky'.

How to use it: "Maleehah is well jammy!"

Discover Bradford and hear some of these phrases for yourself and maybe even test out a few!