Yorkshire colloquialisms

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ə This article contains nonstandard pronunciation information which should be rewritten using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Please see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation) for help.


Yorkshire colloquialisms, Yorkshireisms, dialect, or slang are mostly spoken, but not often written, in Yorkshire. Whilst also being the name of the largest county in England, Yorkshire is also the name of the distinct dialect spoken there. Yorkshire people often say, "I'm talking Yok-sha", when they are asked about their dialect. Yorkshire still has words that can be found in older versions of the English Bible, such as Thee, thou, thy & thine, etc.

1904 map of Yorkshire
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1904 map of Yorkshire

The Yorkshire dialect contains not only a unique glossary of words, but also a unique grammar and phonology which partly have origins in Old Norse.

The main differences between Yorkshire English and RP English is the use of the letters A and U.

The word bathroom, in Received Pronunciation (hereafter known as RP) English, is pronounced as baarth-ruum, whilst in Yorkshire the A is pronounced in the same way as athlete: bath' rooom. The word up is pronounced in RP as ap - as in apple, but in Yorkshire it is used as in the word 'through', with emphasis on the letter 'U'.

The definite article "the", is swallowed as a silent gap in a sentence, as in, "Could you close(slightly swallowed pause)...window", or "I'm off ter (slightly swallowed pause)pub" - "I'm off to the pub"

This article lists many Yorkshire colloquialisms, in as much comprehensive detail as possible, considering the fact that it was/is a dialect that was/is rarely written down. What is clear is that Yorkshire colloquialisms are different from others, because of the way the words are said, and the melody that is used to express them.

This page is a collection of Yorkshire words and phrases that were used in the past, and also the ones that are still being used today. The words are written down in as phonetic a way as possible, so as to make it easier for people to be able to say them out loud, although written "Yorkshire" differs somewhat.

Contents

[edit] Examples of Yorkshireisms

[edit] Words

  • A bad-un (A bad person)
  • A brew (A cup of tea)
  • A bugger (A bad person - but was previously used for a person that practised sodomy)
  • Afters (Drinking in a pub after the legal closing time)
  • A fuddle (A confused mess)
  • Agen (Again)
  • A-jar (A pint of beer, and not to be confused with, "A jar of jam")
  • All-us (Always)
  • Any road (any way)
  • Awd/Ord (old)
  • Aye (Yes; it is pronounced the same as the letter "I" in the alphabet)
  • Ay-up! (A surprised, but warm, greeting. The "Ay" is pronounced like the first letter of the alphabet. Can mean many other things according to subtle intonations, ie: Bloody hell)
  • Bab (Faeces, or the act of excretion - also known as "Baba"; a word used by children. Can also be used to describe something that is useless or bad)
  • Back-passage (Anus/colon)
  • Back-end (Autumn. Also the back of a car, or an anus/colon.)
  • Badly (Someone who is not well)
  • Bairn (Child - although this is also used in the North-East of England - see external links)
  • Barmpot (A silly person)
  • Barmy (silly, daft, unreasonable)
  • Barn (bound as in bound somewhere)
  • Barn-te'r (Bound/sure to do something)
  • Beef (Cry)
  • Beefing (Crying)
  • Be-fuddled (Confused)
  • Benny (A tantrum i.e. to throw a benny/throw a tantrum)
Last of the Summer Wine
Last of the Summer Wine
  • Bevvy (Beer)
  • Bins (Glasses)
  • Bint (Young woman)
  • Black Dag (Black Pudding)
  • Bletherin' (Talking a lot, but saying nothing)
  • Blumin' eck (A exclamation of surprise, usually in a negative context.)
  • Boits (Boots)
  • Boo (verb to cry)
  • Brass (Money)
  • Brat (Apron)
  • Bray (Beat up)
  • Breadcake (A flat bread-roll, or bun)
  • Brig (Bridge)
  • Broddle (Verb: to poke around, to pick out or to make holes)
  • Brussen (Someone who thinks of themselves as being something special, excessively proud. Can also mean someone who's a bit of a rough character)
  • Buggered (Tired)
  • By 'eck! (An exclamation of astonishment; equivalent to, "I'm shocked")
  • Cack (Terrible - and also a word for faeces asin cacked mi keks)
  • Call/callin (To talk, gossip - rhymes with pal)
  • Cack-handed (Useless with tools, or left-handed)
  • Champion (Really good - as in, "It were reet champion")
  • Cheb (To lob or to throw "Cheb us mi flat cap")
  • Chosty/Choisty (Big, massive, huge etc. see 'Chusty')
  • Chuckie (chicken; eggs are often referred to as 'chuckie eggs')
  • Chuck it darn (to rain heavy)
  • Chuddy (Chewing gum)
  • Chuffed (Very proud and happy)
  • Chuffin' eck! (Surprised, or shocked)
  • Chuffin' ell! (politer way of saying 'fucking hell')
  • Chunter/chuntering (Complaining quietly to oneself)
  • Chusty (Big, massive, huge etc. i.e. "Look a t'chusty get twonk!" - Look at the huge great idiot!)
  • Clod-opper (A person who is slow in learning or footwear 'clod-oppers')
  • Cloth ears (Someone who does not listen or someone who hasn't heard something that has been said)
  • Coil-oil (Coal-hole - the cellar where coal is stored)
  • Co-ed/Code/cowd/cord/cawd (Cold - "By 'eck its cowd art theear" - It's cold out there)
  • Cumf'ts (Said like 'comfort'; 'cumf't day, cumf't weekend'. A derogatory term for people from West Yorkshire given to them by people from East Yorkshire, particularly around Bridlington)
  • Deard (Dead - rhymes with beard)
  • Deck (verb to knock somebody to the ground)
  • Dollop (Lump of something)
  • Doss (Either an idiot - especially 'thick doss';also means 'skive'; to relax when one shouldn't be or an opportunity to do so.)
  • Doylum (Idiot. Pronounced D-oi-lum)
  • Dozy Twonk (A silly, sleepy idiot - see also 'Twonk')
  • Duddy/dodie (A baby's dummy)
  • 'e (he)
  • 'e by gum! (Hard to define, sort of a statement)
  • Fellow (A term of address for a male - similar to 'mate')
  • Fer (For)
  • Ferkin (An amount of beer. Often used in the phrase, "A fish and a ferkin", meaning a fish and chip supper and a pint of beer)
  • Flags (Short for flagstones - Concrete paving slabs)
  • Flophouse (A cheap place where the drunk, or homeless, would sleep)
  • Folk (People - "Look at all them folk over there")
  • Gaffer (The boss)
  • Gawp (to stare at someone with an open mouth)
North Yorkshire Moors
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North Yorkshire Moors
  • Ginnel or gennel (alleyway between houses often covered)
  • Gang (Verb: to go)
  • Gate (Street, road)
  • Gret/Gert/Get (Great as in great big)
  • Gigs (Glasses)
  • Ginner (Prounced with a 'j' sound, somebody with red hair)
  • Gip (Unwell, or to retch)
  • Gloit (Nerd or idiot)
  • Gob (Mouth - as in, "shut thee/tha gob" - stop talking)
  • Gobby (Someone who voices their opinion a lot)
  • Goggle box (television)
  • Goodies (Sweets - usually hard-boiled sweets)
  • Gorm (Sense; eg - gormless = senseless. But also - notice; eg 'he never gormed me')
  • Gradely (as in, "It were reet gradely", meaning it was really good)
  • Groggie (to feel under the weather/or hung over)
  • Growler (Pork pie)
  • Gruds or Grots (Underpants)
  • Keks or Kegs(Trousers or underpants)
  • Knackers (Testicles)
  • Krog or 'Kroggie (A ride on the back of somebody's bicycle)
  • Lug/lugoil (Ear - earhole)
  • Lake/laik/Leck/Larkin (Verb: to play, and also "a laker" time off work for no good reason: "Is 'e laiking agin?")
  • Lass (young woman or girl)
  • Learn (=to teach)
  • Lop/loppy (Flea/or knits when you are itching alot),dirty/unclean
  • Love/Luv (Used at the end of sentence, as in, "Thanks, love" and said to men and women alike as a friendly term)
  • Mack-off (Big, massive etc. Sometimes pronounced "Whack-off")
  • Maungy (Sullen, moody. Pronounced "Morn-jee". Possibly deriving from 'mangy' meaning to suffer from the mange)
  • Mardy (Moody/Miserable/Petty, taking your football home if you can't be the captain)
  • Ma'sen/Mi'sen (Myself)
  • Mi (my) (Example: "These are mi (my) keys.")
  • Middin (A mess in a room)
  • Mind (Remember, think, move, take care)
  • Muggins (A person who will accept anything)
  • Mytherin' (Worrying about something without reason/to bother someone)
  • Nacker (a slug)
  • Nankle/Nankling (Fiddling with something, sometimes with an aim to fixing it)
  • Na then' (Informal greeting)
  • Nay (no)
  • Neev or Nieve (Fist)
  • Nesh (soft or effeminate; feel the cold easily)
  • Nipper (A young boy)
  • Noggin (Head)
  • Nowt (Nothing)
  • Now then' (Informal greeting)
A Yorkshire pub
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A Yorkshire pub
  • Offcumdens (Offcomers/outsiders)
  • Ole/Oil (hole)
  • Os (Horse)
  • 'Osen (Stockings)
  • Our lass (wife, girlfriend - 'old lass' = mother)
  • Our kid (Brother or sibling)
  • Our youth (Brother or sibling)
  • Ovver/Ova/Of'er (Over; as in over there, said like hover without the 'h')
  • Owd (Old)
  • 'Ow do? (How are you?)
  • 'Ow ist? (How are you? literally How is tha?)
  • Owt (Anything)
  • Oxter (Armpit)
  • Piddlin' (Something trivial/or lite to medium rain)
  • Pillock (An idiot, or someone who knows what he is doing is harmful)
  • Pit (A mine - often referred to as, "Darn (down) t'pit")
  • Poorly (Ill - unwell)
  • Radge (A tantrum or an offensive term meaning to make someone mentally disabled e.g. 'to radge someone up')
  • Radgey (Bad tempered)
  • Real (Good or outstanding)
  • Rigg or Rygg (Ridge/back, espcially of hill)
  • Right/reyt/reet (Very/really - as in, "It's right/reyt/reet good")
  • Roarin roorin' (crying loudly)
  • Scallywag or scally (A young person who resents and disobeys authority)
  • Scrawny (Very thin)
  • Scree-tin (Crying in a loud way)
  • Sen (Self)
  • Shite (A more emphatic version of 'shit')
  • Siling (to rain heavily)
  • Sith-ee/ahl sithee (Listen / Goodbye)
  • Sith-ee/suth-ee (See here)
  • Skeg (verb - to look)
  • Skerrick (small amount)
  • Skit (A mocking response to anothers misfortune commonly restricted to children. Can be used on its own or in the form "skit on you" and is often accompanied by pointing at the object of derision)
  • Smart (very good; cool often 'well smart')
  • Snap (Packed Lunch / other snack)
  • Snicket (Uncovered footpath or alleyway between houses)
  • Snotty (A person who thinks they are better than the rest)
  • Snotty-nosed (A person with their "nose up in the air" who is arrogant)
  • Sod-all (Nothing)
  • Souse (gravy)
  • Spanner (Idiot)
  • Spawny/Sporny (Lucky)
  • Spice (Sweets - usually "hard-boiled" sweets, liquorice or sherbert)
  • Splig (Spider)
  • Spogs (Sweets)
  • Starved (cold or hungry)
  • Summat' (Something)
  • Sup (verb - to drink)
  • Tallyman (A debt collector)
  • t' (the, accompanied by an apostrophe, e.g. "Has tha seen-t'new Pope? Eye's of a killer, 'e 'as")
  • Ta (Thankyou)
  • Taws/tors (Marbles)
  • Ta' ra (Goodbye)
  • Tea/te-ah cake (a bread roll)
  • Teggies (Superstore chain Tescos)
  • Tets (Short for Tetley's beer. eg, "A pint of Tets, please love")
  • Them (these/those) [example: "I like them trousers."]
  • Tha/Thou/thee (You)
  • Tha-sen/thisen/yoursen (Yourself)
  • Ticked-off (Angry, or disturbed about something/someone)
  • T'old lass (An old woman)
  • T'old lad (An old man)
  • T'old kid (An old man)
  • T'owd lass (An old woman)
  • T'owd lad (An old man)
  • Towd (Told)
  • Tripe (Something/an idea that is not good)
  • Tup (A male sheep, ram / verb referring to two sheep fornicating)
  • Twonk (Idiot)
  • Tyke (a yorkshireman; originally a very rude term for men from the East Riding)
  • Us (Ours, or me - We should put us (=our) names on us (=our) property")
  • Vit-ner-ee (Vet - Veterinarian)
  • Waahm (Warm, the first part spoken like a baby's cry; 'Wah')
  • Wazzock/Wazak (Fool)
  • Were (was) [example: "I were (=was) wearing't red coat, but he were (=was) wearing't green one".]
  • Wezzie (A derogatory term for people from West Yorkshire given to them by people from East Yorkshire)
  • While (until) [example: "I'll stay while eight" - I will stay until eight o'clock]
  • Wi/Wi-owt (With/without)
  • Win (=to beat; to win somebody at tennis means to beat them)
  • Wooden overcoat (A [[coffin}})
  • Wor (Were)
  • Yan/Yon (One)
  • Yon (That)
  • Yonder (Over There/Horizon)
  • Young-un (A son, as in, "Look for' young-un")
  • Yow (Ewe; an adult female sheep)
  • Yu'sen (Yourself)

[edit] Phrases

  • A bit-a'snap (A snack)
  • Ah-cud eet a'scabby-donkey tween tu Bre't-Vans (I could eat a diseased donkey between two Bread Vans as a sandwich)
  • Appen (Perhaps)
  • Appens as meb'be (It might happen)
  • A puddin' in' t'oven (Pregnant)
  • A rate gud so-art (A good sort of person)
  • Ah-reet kid (Are you alright? A friendly greeting)
  • Allus at't last push up (Always at the last moment)
  • As daft as a brush (A stupid/silly person)
  • As sick as a Cleethorpes donkey (Feeling bad that something has not turned out well)
  • A'streak a-yellow reet darn 'is back (A coward)
  • Bac-ards at coming for-ards(not daft i.e hes not bac-ards at coming for-ards)
  • Bahn (Going - "ah'm bahn to t' co-op)
  • Bang-it' (Hit it, but also used to say, "Bang it there"; meaning to put it somewhere, but not very carefully)
  • Boun (Ready)
  • Box in't corner (Television)
  • Brass-necked (Very confident)
  • By ecky-thump (An exclamation of surprise)
  • Dun't make a' a-perth a-diff-rence (It doesn't change it even by one half-penny)
  • Eee an't got-a-clue (He has no idea)
  • Eeeh-bah-gum (An exclamation of astonishment; equivalent to "That's amazing". Though rarely used anymore, it has become something of a stereo-typical Yorkshireism)
  • Eee wor 'ard on (He was fast asleep)
  • 'Er bladder's too near 'er-eyes (Her bladder is too near her eyes = she cries too easily)
  • Eyes are bigger than your belly (The portion of food you chose is too much for you to eat)
  • Fair to middel-in (Situation is normal, but not good)
  • Flaid (Afraid of)
  • Get thee-sen off (Leave now, or you will be late)
  • Get thee-sen on (Go away)
  • Gi' or (Give up/stop it)
  • Gi' it some pasty (Hit it - work harder)
  • Goin' dahn't nick (Ill/bad and maybe not going to get better)
  • Got-it back-uds (Got it backwards - the wrong way round - misunderstood the point)
  • Go't face-on (In a bad mood; their face shows that they are in a bad mood. Also, to have one's make-up on)
  • Have five minutes (A short nap)
  • I don't give two monkeys/i don't gi a chuff (I don't care)
  • If tha' dances wi' devil, thal' ge't pricked wi'-is 'orns (If you dance with the devil you'll get pricked by his horns; you will suffer if you do evil things)
  • In a fix (Someone has a serious problem)
  • I'll go t'foot of our stairs! (Very surprised but not shocked)
  • I'll go t'bottom of our street! (Very surprised but not shocked)
  • I'll slap thee-daft (I will slap you until you are senseless)
  • I'll tell thee summat fer-nowt (I'll tell you something for nothing; it's good advice and it will cost nothing)
  • Is tha barn darn tarn tha neet (are you going to town tonight)
  • It-caps owt (It beats everything)
  • It's a rum-do (A bad - and possibly illegal - situation)
  • It's class, that is (It's of a high quality)
  • It's not worth a ligh't (It's not worth anything at all)
  • It's way out-a my league (It's too expensive - I can't afford it)
  • I want raised ont' darn train (i was not raised on the down train/im not stupid)
  • I've niver seen the like (I have never seen anything like it)
  • I've seen better-legs on a-table (A woman who has ugly/thin legs)
  • It'll do thee the world a'good (It will make you better)
A village in the Yorkshire Dales
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A village in the Yorkshire Dales
  • I wouldn't a-reckoned it (I wouldn't have believed it)
  • It's nut jannock (It's not fair)
  • It's nowt but spit an' glue (It was not very well-made)
  • It's nowt like (It's not aynthing like the thing that you mean)
  • It's on t'other foot now (The situation has completely changed)
  • Laughed me socks off (Something was extremely funny)
  • Laff? Ah-nearly bot' a-round (It was so funny I almost bought a round of drinks)
  • Let's be havin' ya (C'mon, let's go)
  • Let' sleepin' dogs-lie (Don't talk about it)
  • Livin' tally/ower't brush (Not married but living together as man and wife)
  • Meki'g'backuds (Put it into reverse gear)
  • Nah then young'en (hello to someone younger than myself)
  • Nay-er cast-a-clout, 'till May is art (Do not cast away any clothing before May is over)
  • Nobbut a mention (Not enough to be talked about; not worth mentioning)
  • Not worth tuppence (An object that has no value)
  • Off 'is ed (Off his head; crazy; drunk)
  • One a't lads (A good friend)
  • Off f a slurp (going to the pub for a drink)
  • On't sly (On the sly; doing something secretively)
  • Ows ta doin (How are you doing)
  • Owt for nowt (something for nothing)
  • Pig in a poke (A confusing mess)
  • Popp't-in fer a pint (Went into a pub for a short time, but usually meaning more than one pint)
  • Put't wood in-t'oil (Put the wood in the hole; shut the door)
  • See-a-man abart-a-dog (See a man about a dog = I have to go to the toilet)
  • Send it t'writing iron (print it out - from a computer)
  • Soni fit f'knackers yard (in bad working order)
  • She's got a pod-on (She's angry)
  • 'T in't in t'tin (It isn't in the tin)
  • Tek' rod out-yer-arse (Advice to someone who is being arrogant and overly stiff)
  • Tek-a-good likeness (Very photogenic)
  • Tha's nowt so-queer as folk (People can be strange)
  • Throw a benny (To throw a tantrum)
  • Took a likng to-it (I liked it, after a time)
  • Two-pennorth (Two pence; an opinion)
  • Up the golden rockers (The stairs - go to bed)
  • Up yours! (I would gladly put something painful in your colon)
  • wants t' go t' knackers yard (it only fit for the scrap yard/or a dog on its last legs)
  • What' tha think'tha doin', tha freetn'd mi ter deeath (Why are you doing that, you really scared me!)
  • Waybit (A short distance)
  • Wazak (fool)
  • Wet me whistle (Have a drink; usually beer)
  • Where tha's muck the's money/brass (Where there is dirt, there is money)
  • Where's thee/tha/ta bin? (Where have you been?)
  • Worked me knackers off (Worked my testicles off - worked very hard)
  • Would thee/tha credi't it? (Would you believe it?)
  • yu' could ride bear-arsed t'brat-fud on that (A knife or chisel is blunt (you can use any town name)

[edit] City & place names

City & place names that are not pronounced as written, commonly abbreviated or are sometimes altered to make them humorous.

Leeds Town Hall
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Leeds Town Hall

Deuws-bri (Dewsbury). Many Yorkshiremen try to pronounce "Shrewsbury" in this manner.

Scarborough Lighthouse
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Scarborough Lighthouse


  • Ar't West (to the West)
  • Back o-erm (Back Home - Yorkshire)
  • Bra't-fud by t'sea (Morecambe - a Lancashire seaside town, which was a popular holiday destination for Bradford residents)
  • Bubber-ist-with (A fictional place)
  • Cleck-udders-fax (A fictional place made up from the names of: Cleckheaton, Huddersfield and Halifax)
  • Darn-in't smoke (London)
  • Darn-Sarth (Down south - south of Nottingham)
  • Darn-tarn (Down to the centre of a town/city - also "Up-tarn")
  • God's Own County (Referring to the high esteem in which Yorkshire people regard their own county)
  • See-sard (Seaside)
  • Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire (South Yorkshire generally but specifically Sheffield)
  • Up' no-arth (Up north - Yorkshire)
  • Wheear the' black-leead t'tram-lines. Old phrase for Ossett - once a heavily polluted town.
  • Yok-sha (Yorkshire)
  • Yok-sha Day-ells (The Yorkshire Dales)

[edit] Yorkshire jokes

Yorkshire jokes came about because of the harsh conditions that many Yorkshire people were forced to live with historically, and then found solace in making fun of the situation. Though conditions are no longer dire, this tradition has carried on.

Yorkshire humour is philosophical in an every-man sense; meaning gently sarcastic, self-effacing and dry. Though it can sometimes display a sly cunning, it often follows the rule that all good comedy is directed firstly at the speaker, and then at others, or a combination of both; meaning that as much as others make mistakes, or say/do silly things, it is also possible for oneself to do the same things. The laughter generated is a combination of relief that one is not the reason for the joke, but is also heart-felt sympathy for the person that the joke is directed aginst.

  • "If tha' can laff... t'ole world laffs wi'-thee, bu't if tha'-crys, tha'll cry aloan."

Translation: (Laugh, and the whole world will laugh with you, but if you cry, you will cry alone).

Jokes:

  • A deputy (a foreman) in the pit, had to order 50 corrugated roofing sheets.

"Ar-does tha' spell corrugated?", he asked. "Err... jus' reet riggly-tin", his mate replied - and the only reason he could spell that was because he had a packet of chewing gum in his pocket.

("Wrigley's Chewing Gum", for the uninitiated)

  • Notes to the milkman:
    • "Please don't leave any milk today - all they do is drink it!"
    • "Please leave an extra pint of paralysed milk."
    • "Please leave no milk today. When I say today, I mean tomorrow, because I wrote this note yesterday."
    • "When you leave the milk please put coal on't fire, let't dog out and put't newspaper inside't door. P.S. Don't leave any milk."

[edit] Food & drink

Sunday dinner with Yorkshire Pudding
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Sunday dinner with Yorkshire Pudding
  • Cheese-n-egg (Grated cheese with an egg on top, and a few drops of milk - on a metal plate - that is grilled until the cheese has melted and slightly browned)
  • Christmas cake (This is eaten with a slice of cheese)
  • Parkin (A type of cake normally eaten on bonfire night)
  • Pop (A carbonated/fizzy drink)
  • Tripe (The stomach lining of a cow, which was a favoured dish in Yorkshire, because of its cheapness)
  • Yok-sha ot' pot (Yorkshire Hotpot: Lamb, carrots, onions & potatoes)
  • Yok-sha puddin' (Yorkshire Pudding; batter-based that has nothing to do with sweet puddings)

[edit] Poems & sayings

  • The Yorkshire version of the "See No Evil" phrase:

Hear all, see all, say nowt.

Eat all, drink all, pay nowt,

and tha ever dus owt for nowt,

All-us do it for thee-sen.

Translated: Hear everything, see everything, but say nothing.

Eat everything, drink everything, but pay nothing,

and if you ever do anything for nothing,

always do it for yourself.


  • There's niver nowt, but-what there's summat.

And when-there's summat, it's-offen nowt.

And them-that allus' thinks they're-summat,

'as-nearly allus-risen fray-nowt.

It's no-use sittin-an-waitin' for summat,

'Cos more-offen, it' nobbut' ends-wi'nowt.

An' come to-think on-it', these lines I've penned,

Are-myst-lee summat' abart-nowt

Translated:

There is never nothing, but there is always something.

And when there is something, it is often nothing.

And those that think they are something special,

have nearly always come from nothing.

It's of no use waiting for something,

because more often than not, it ends with nothing.

And if I think about it, these lines I have penned/written

are mostly something about nothing.


  • "It's not't cough tha't carries-thee-off, its'... coffin they carry thee off-in".

(It is not the cough that carries you off, it is the coffin they carry you off in)

  • "All I can leave thee, is what tha' makes a'thee-sen".

(All I can leave you, after I am dead, is what you make of yourself, in life.)

  • "If tha knows nowt, say nowt an-appen nob'dee 'll notice."

(If you know nothing, then say nothing, and maybe no-one will notice that you don't know anything)

[edit] Songs

'On Ilkla Moor Baht'at' is possibly the most famous of Yorkshire songs. The phrase "Bar-tat" translates as, "Without a Hat".

Cow & Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor
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Cow & Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor

Wear 'as tha-bin since ah saw thee,

On Il-kley Moor bar-ta--at?

Wear 'as tha-bin since ah saw thee?

Wear 'as tha-bin since ah saw thee?

  • Chorus

On Ilk-ley Moor bar-tat

On Ilk-ley Moor bar-tat

On Ilk-ley Moor bar-tat!


Thar's been'a co-ortin' Mary Jane

On Il-kley Moor bar-ta--at

Thar's been'a co-ortin' Mary Jane

Tha's been'a co-ortin' Mary Jane

  • (Chorus)

Thar's barn-ter t'catch thee death a'co-ed

On Ilk-ley Moor ba-ta--at

Tha's barn-ter t'catch thee death a'co-ed

Tha's barn t'catch thee death a'co-ed

  • (Chorus)

Then we shall-ha' to bury thee

On Il-kley Moor bar-ta--at

Then we shall-ha' to bury thee

Then we shall-ha' to bury thee

  • (Chorus)

Then't worms 'll cum and eat thee up

On Il-kley Moor bar-ta--at

Then't worms 'll cum and eat thee up

Then't worms 'll cum and eat thee up

  • (Chorus)

Then't ducks 'll cum and eat-up worms

On Il-kley Moor bar-ta--at

Then't ducks 'll cum and eat-up worms

Then't ducks 'll cum and eat-up worms

  • (Chorus)

Then we shall go an' eat-up ducks

On Il-kley Moor bar-ta--at

Then we shall go an' eat-up ducks

Then we shall go an' eat-up ducks

  • (Chorus)

Then we shall-all-'av etten thee

On Il-kley Moor bar-ta--at

Then we shall-all-'av etten thee

Then we shall-all-'av etten thee

  • (Chorus)

[edit] See also

[edit] On film

[edit] External links

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