Not understanding things-

I'm here in 'Ay-up' land, with its ginnels and days when it's siling it down.  

'Ay-up' always makes me think of Compo on "Last of the Summer Wine"  (We're getting ancient reruns on PBS just now). You probably won't remember Mrs. R. but time was when the bus conductors in Leeds would go down the whole bus chanting "Ta luv, ta luv, ta luv ..." as they took fares.

To the OP, when you are living over here, if you happen to be mentioning anything about a 'thick' accent - it would be better, IME, to say instead a 'broad' accent, not thick. I used to get strange, occasionally frowning looks (or laughter - 'so what are you trying to say?!') when I'd say that someone had a 'thick' accent...'thick' here means that someone is stupid.

Thanks, I will remember that. I know "thick" means "stupid", but it never dawned on me that when I was talking about heavy (ok, broad) accents it could come across as stupid... but of course I would never actually tell someone they have a "thick" accent, I don't even think I would tell them they have a broad accent.

I'm here in 'Ay-up' land, with its ginnels and days when it's siling it down. 

I seriously have no idea what you just said... 

You probably won't remember Mrs. R. but time was when the bus conductors in Leeds would go down the whole bus chanting "Ta luv, ta luv, ta luv ..." as they took fares.

No, but that does remind me when we went last autumn to Blackpool for the Illuminations & we rode the tram once or twice while there. The conductors walk up & down the tram to collect fares, and one of the conductors was very entertaining - walking up & down, saying very quickly (in taking fares) 'Any more for any more? Any more for any more? Any more for any more?' 

Thanks, I will remember that. I know "thick" means "stupid", but it never dawned on me that when I was talking about heavy (ok, broad) accents it could come across as stupid... but of course I would never actually tell someone they have a "thick" accent, I don't even think I would tell them they have a broad accent.

Yes, well 'broad' is the right term for what you want to say here about an accent, like in the US you would say a 'thick' accent. Even if you were speaking here to someone about another person's accent & you said this other person had a 'thick' accent - the person might think you were saying the other person is stupid or something. Use broad instead. 

I seriously have no idea what you just said... 

Ha ha! Well ksand24 already explained 'Ayup' - which I always took to be a Yorkshire thing, but it's apparently used in a wider area than I thought.

A 'ginnel' is a Yorkshire dialect word for something like a snicket.    It's a little lane that runs between (usually) terraced houses to get from the front of the houses to the back or to the alleyway.  A snicket on the other hand often has bollards featuring in it.

'Siling it down' is Yorkshire dialect saying it's raining really hard, or instead sometimes people say it's 'chuckin' (or chookin) it down as well.

My in-laws live in Norfolk (not Yorkshire) & they have been surprised before when I've come out with Yorkshire dialect words they've never heard before & we all have a good laugh - so even one part of the country to another might not understand what each other is saying, lol!  Over here, this is the only place I've ever lived so I've picked up more local stuff than my husband has who is from elsewhere in the UK.

Yes, well 'broad' is the right term for what you want to say here about an accent, like in the US you would say a 'thick' accent. Even if you were speaking here to someone about another person's accent & you said this other person had a 'thick' accent - the person might think you were saying the other person is stupid or something. Use broad instead.  Smiley

Right, I will keep that in mind. What I meant was I am reserved enough to not even say anything about it unless I know them well. I can't picture myself telling someone anything about their accent at all. Even if I can't understand them (of course if I knew them well that would be a different story, but then again if I knew them well I would not really be having a hard time understanding them after all I guess) I would just politely ask them to repeat it or maybe say it a different way, or generally just do what I usually do in many situations and pretend I know what's going on. 

Ha ha! Well ksand24 already explained 'Ayup' - which I always took to be a Yorkshire thing, but it's apparently used in a wider area than I thought.

I still can't say I understand what any of that means. So here goes does "I'm here in 'Ay-up' land, with its ginnels and days when it's siling it down. " basically mean "I'm in bloody hell land with alleys and raining too much"?...  oy lol!

Alroight, moi luvver

Is it common to call random people that?

I generally have no problems understanding the accents in the UK... It is more the occasional *content* of what is said that throws ME for a loop.

Yes, I think that's pretty much it for me too.

My sister in law started dating a guy from up North, and when he was introduced to my (Southern UK) mother in law he said "Aye-up," to which she replied, "Oh, no you don't!  I already have an American in the family; I'm not having an 'aye-up', too!"

I guess I'm "thick" because I don't get what it is she thought he was saying or what that means.... 

This Aye-up thing is really going to be a problem for me, isn't it? 

Okay, "my *bleep*" is officially my favourite post for the night!

Ta ra said here in Wales too.  I always debate about the best way to spell it if written.

I still can't say I understand what any of that means. So here goes does "I'm here in 'Ay-up' land, with its ginnels and days when it's siling it down. " basically mean "I'm in bloody hell land with alleys and raining too much"?...  oy lol!

Not quite, I think something more along the lines of:

"I'm here in Yorkshire, where we have alleys between terraced houses and days where it pours with rain."

In this case:
'ay-up land' = 'the part of the country where people say ay-up' (i.e. Yorkshire, Nottingham, etc.),
'ginnels' = 'alleys between terraced houses'
'siling it down' (also, 'chucking it down') = 'pouring with rain'

Is it common to call random people that?

Oh, yes - definitely. It's really just an informal, friendly greeting between locals... no different from saying 'Hi, how are you?'.

It's the West Country version of 'Ay-up, me duck' .

I've been called 'moi luv' or 'moi luvver' by everyone from shop keepers, to lunch ladies, to bus drivers and even customers in the shops I used to work in.

I guess I'm "thick" because I don't get what it is she thought he was saying or what that means.... 

She knew exactly what he was saying to her (he was simply saying 'hello' ) - it's just that she was joking that she already had one new accent in the house to contend with (American), so she wasn't going to be putting up with having a northern accent and northern phrases in the house as well .

I struggled with the Black Country accent when I first moved here and still do sometimes (and some people struggle with my Florida accent!) When I first started there were many blank stares because I answered questions in a way which had nothing to do with the question!! Also many people here use "*bleep*", "love", "lovie", "chuk" and "flower" as terms of endearment. I really dislike being called any of these!!!

What got me the most when I first moved here was when one of my colleagues said, "Oh. I haven't seen that TV show in donkey's years" and other people said things such as, "Wow. I haven't done that in donkey's!" Also, never compliment someone's pants as they will think you are talking about their underwear

Black Country accent

What is Black Country?

Also, never compliment someone's pants as they will think you are talking about their underwear Smiley

Oh yes, I grew up with my father calling "pants" "trousers"- so I don't think that is a mistake I will make often.  

One thing I can't seem to quite get past yet is "fanny" and the drastic meaning differences in the US vs UK. Must try my best to remember this one!  

Thanks ksand24 for the explanation, I think I get it better. And lol on the mother in law not putting up with another accent! I love how things seem so light hearted and humorous in so many ways.

What is Black Country?

The Black Country is a part of the West Midlands... Wolverhampton/Wednesbury/Dudley kind of way.

What is Black Country?

As Tracey said, its an area of the West Midlands near Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

However, it's not an official geographical area (i.e. it's not marked on maps), it's more like a nickname for that particular area due to the nature of the industry that used to be there in the 1800s (i.e. black soot and smoke from the forges and ironworks would cover the area, and people worked in the coal seams).

People talk about the 'Black Country accent' though because the local dialect in the area is very distinct and hasn't changed all that much over the centuries in comparison with other areas of the UK (someone mentioned 'bostin' as meaning 'very good' - that's an example of a Black Country colloquialism).

There is an open air 'living museum' in the Black Country, which is pretty cool (http://www.bclm.co.uk/). We went there on a school trip once and we got to experience a Victorian school lesson, complete with chalk and slate for writing on (they made us write right-handed... I'm left-handed ), and then we got to see all the local little replica shops and everything .

One thing I can't seem to quite get past yet is "fanny" and the drastic meaning differences in the US vs UK. Must try my best to remember this one!  

Lol - yeah, you don't want to get that one mixed up in the UK .

Thanks ksand24 for the explanation, I think I get it better. And lol on the mother in law not putting up with another accent! I love how things seem so light hearted and humorous in so many ways.

Yeah, exactly - a lot of what people say here that sounds like it could be mean or sarcastic, is actually intended as affectionate and humorous... just part of the British humour really.

Hilariously, (well,  I think so), my horse is from a race track trainer up in Yorkshire. Her racing name was "Hey Up There", and when I asked what she was called when she was at home, everyone paused and looked a bit... embarrassed.

Yep, "Ay up" it is. It's the name she came with, so it stays, and it makes me laugh.  I generally call her "the little mare" and the teenage girls have gone from "Ay up" to "ayz" to "Haze", but still, she's a proper Northern lass (as her old owner insisted on telling me before we left with her)!

When I first moved here, I had less trouble with the Mancunian accent than the blend of accents we tend to get.  But I'm okay 90% of the time now.

'Ay-up' always makes me think of Compo on "Last of the Summer Wine"  (We're getting ancient reruns on PBS just now). You probably won't remember Mrs. R. but time was when the bus conductors in Leeds would go down the whole bus chanting "Ta luv, ta luv, ta luv ..." as they took fares.

Get "ta luv" a lot around here. Or "ay up *bleep*!"

DW is usually ok with me, but has problems sometimes with my friend, and the 2 of us when we are together in the pub! Apparently she has often looked at his partner in bemusement and she's done the same back and says "I've no idea", as she's from London!

A 'ginnel' is a Yorkshire dialect word for something like a snicket.    It's a little lane that runs between (usually) terraced houses to get from the front of the houses to the back or to the alleyway.  A snicket on the other hand often has bollards featuring in it.

They are both narrow alleyways (walkways), a ginnel is usually covered though. DW uses ginnel a lot now!

Didn't read through all of the posts, but the ones I read through I didn't see this on: Maybe it's because I read the books when I was much younger so when I watched the movie I didn't have any issue. depending on what the terms are that you don't get, Try maybe looking up the books. The back pages of the books have Georgia's dictionary that explains what certain things mean. I strongly recommend the books to any of you with daughters that are in their early teens. But yeah, definitely check it out

and be careful how you use  spunk or spunky