Walking into the third post of the month
Wait… wasn’t this meant to be a twice a month thing?!
Hello again and apologies for this interruption to our usual schedule. I promised you a post every two weeks – hitting your inbox every other Wednesday – but I hadn’t accounted for the fact that some months have an extra Wednesday in them, which would mean we’d sometimes end up with a three-week gap, not a two-week gap. Damn that Gregorian calendar and my general rubbishness when it comes to numbers.
Anyway, in my last post, Walking like a northerner, I shared some Hull phrases and invited you to use them as writing prompts. I also promised you the real answers to those phrases, so here they are:
Gizza croggy – to ask someone for a lift on their bicycle, usually by sitting on the crossbar or handlebars.
Larkin out down tenfoot – no, this is not a reference to poet Philip Larkin’s height. It means playing in the alley that runs between people’s houses. Larkin’ means play and tenfoot comes from the fact that these alleys are typically ten-feet wide (mekkin ‘em big enough for the bin trucks to get down, see).
Fern curl – a phone call – a once popular means of having a chat with someone who is not in the same place as you, now replaced by texting and cat memes.
Err nerr, it’s snerr – oh no, it’s snow.
Bool the bain – pushing a child in a pushchair or pram. Yep, kids are called ‘bains’ in ‘Ull rather than 'bairns’ and the word is pronounced ‘bane’. Make of that as you will.
Pattie and a breadcake – a Hull delicacy. A culinary extravaganza. A taste sensation. And the absolute best thing about Hull chip shops other than Hull Chip Spice. A pattie is made with mashed potatoes that are seasoned with sage, then dipped in batter and deep fried. Breadcake is the Hull word for a bread roll. Also known as a bun, bap, cob, barm or batch, depending on where you’re from. Top tip: always smother your pattie in malt vinegar before tucking in.
Bags to go foggy – this isn’t a reference to the inexplicable fog that often descends on the east Yorkshire city, it’s something you say when you want to go first, usually when playing a game. Or should that be larkin?
And there you have it. Use these words the next time you’re in the former City of Culture and everyone will think you’re a local.
We’ll resume our normal ‘every other Wednesday/twice a month’ service from next week when I’ll be talking about walking with a group.
Until then, happy walking and writing.
Sarah