'cheers' and 'mate'

[vernon]

What a minefield of societal rules when addressing people informally.

Makes the world of Jane Austen look as laid back as Rab C Nesbitt's back-yard.

I was really pleased when I was addressed as 'Big yin' in Scotland.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I also like to use the expression "good morning/afternoon/evening, Gentleberries". Covers both sexes and is pleasingly different.

 

[Abitrary]

I say "aye aye chuck" or love. Even the men in Yorkshire call other men love!

No way! No one says 'aye aye chuck'!!! Yorkshire can be a bit surreal sometimes but it is in noway some modern day version of the starship enterprise!

 

[cheadle hulme]

And when people ask "how are you?" I nearly always reply with.....

"Fair to middling" is the correct response in the part of Lancashire I grew up.

Reference to grades of cotton I believe.

 

[mickle]

In Bristol it's 'lover' and 'babber' as in 'allroight moi lovver? Babber = baby so it's a bit surreal when our car mechanic greets me with; 'Allroight moi babber?'

 

[KristyA]

No way! No one says 'aye aye chuck'!!! Yorkshire can be a bit surreal sometimes but it is in noway some modern day version of the starship enterprise!

You may be right about the surreal thing...I once had an email with a list of Yorkshire Words and Phrases which you had to try and translate into the "Queens" English and even I couldn't guess what some of them were! I'll try and find it on t'interweb and post it, it's a right laaaarf (my attempt at a southern accent!)

 

[Andy in Sig]

I've heard the verb "to thrap" used as meaning to fiddle. I don't know what region it comes from though.

 

[Hover Fly]

Except that men of a similar age used to be 'marra' and both women and kids (or just much younger people than the speaker) were 'hinny'... 'marra' is almost extinct now and 'hinny' is getting rarer, sadly.

Marra is still common in Cumbria, at one time it had retreated to West Cumberland around Workington but now it seems to be making a comeback especially to the Furness district for some reason. It's suprising how many people think I'm a "Geordie" from my accent even though I was born and brought up in Lancashire.

 

[col]

The "hinny" word is common in sunderland, it might be the older generation, as my mother is from there and everyone seemed to use that when we visited.

 

[D-Rider]

I was really pleased when I was addressed as 'Big yin' in Scotland.

It's the fundamental breakdown for all guys up here. You're either "Big yin" or "Wee man".

 

[rich p]

I've heard the verb "to thrap" used as meaning to fiddle. I don't know what region it comes from though.

The nether regions?

 

[longers]

What would AAGill say?

 

[Abitrary]

AA Gill would just use syllabic stress and nuance on a basic 'thank you' to convey any emotion attainable.

Even the blokey bonhomie of a 'cheers mate' could be conveyed within the confines of that first sentence that I said there.

 

[yenrod]

I'd rather give myself a slap in the face than say Cheers BUT due to my locality I use Mate quite often.

 

[longers]

AA Gill would just use syllabic stress and nuance on a basic 'thank you' to convey any emotion attainable.

Even the blokey bonhomie of a 'cheers mate' could be conveyed within the confines of that first sentence that I said there.

He might say it but he'd go home and write about it afterwards.