Jane Elizabeth Carr (nee Summerbell) was born in December 1884 and attended Holy Trinity Church School from the age of 3. She was 14 when she she became a pupil-teacher and she taught at Holy Trinity until the late 1940s. During her childhood and her years as a teacher she recorded the words and phrases South Shields bairns and their parents used. She then wrote these words on scraps of paper and in 1961 she wrote them up in an exercise book.
Sayings heard and compiled while attending Holy Trinity Church School, SOUTH SHIELDS.
Many are obsolescent.
| Dialect | English |
| 1. Dota doon. | 1. Write that down. |
| 2. a Wat fettle? | 2. a How are you? |
| 2. b Hoo yi garn on? | 2. b How are you? |
| 3. Tha nebbin on. | 3. They are lovers. |
| 4. Tha garn ti get spliced. | 4. They are going to be married. |
| 5. Tha dee-in the grand | 5. They are having a grand time, rather ostentatiously |
| 6. Am garn. | 6. Good bye. |
| 7. Stott ind kep the barl. | 7. Bounce and catch the ball. |
| 8. Hinney! Shi hes ne feelings, Yi might is weel tell hur, yi fund a bob is lost one. | 8. Hinny in dictionary = produce of stallion and she-ass. Hinney in Tyneside language = “Word” is friendly and kindly spoken, as mode of approach. She is selfish. She cares not whether you have lost or found a shilling. |
| 9. The may owlers are yowlin. | 9. The cats are crying loudly. |
| 10. Ee’ll neytha heck na jee. | 10. He won’t obey. He will neither stop nor go, at command. |
| 11. How-way; brust yi. | 11. Come along! You are a bother. |
| 12. Tha skitten us. | 12, They are mocking me. |
| 13. Shi niva goomed us. | 13. She ignored me. |
| 14. Am roopy wi card. | 14. I have a cold and my voice is effected. |
| 15. Ar felt as though a loose had dropped in me lug. | 15. I was embarrassed and crest fallen. |
| 16. Sh’ll cut ya throat, then hand yi plarsta. | 16. She instantly repents of her unkindness and tries to make amends. |
| 17. Yistada, the bairn was hinjy; but noo he’s deed felled. | 17. The child was poorly yesterday; but he is bed-fast today. |
| 18. Noo gan on; scoff the dollop. | 18. Go right on eating, until all is finished. |
| 19. He hes hur nooled. | 19. That man has his wife afraid to give her opinion about any-thing. |
| 20. Her fingas are arl fish-hooks | 20. She will steal wherever she gets a chance. |
| 21. Let sleeping dogs lie. | 21. Don’t revive old scandals. |
| 22. Yi’ll tyeck had iv the rang end i the stick. | 22. You will err in your choice. |
| 23. Sh’s byecked ar kyeck; sh kin sell ar girdle. | 23. She must take the consequences of her own folly. |
| 24. Yor neb will kiss the karsey. | 24. Your reputation will be degraded |
| 25. Yiv saved ya meat ind ya mense. | 25. This saying is one of consolation. It is said to any-one who has invited another or others to a meal. After accepting the invitation; they don’t come as promised. |
| 26. Sh’s always winjin ind wine-in; pitterin ind pine-in. | 26. She is continually fretting and complaining in a mournful manner. |
| 27. Sh’s browt a comb t’hur heed; sh’ll niva bring through. | 27. She has committed a blunder; which is impossible to bring to a satisfactory conclusion. |
| 28. Yi’ll rue ivry hair i ya heed. | 28. You will remember with sorrow, your words or actions. |
| 29. He swapped ees fiddle for a gew-ga | 29. The exchange he made has proved a mistake. |
| 30. If am sowlja clad am major minded. | 30. If my attire is cheap and common; I think myself equal to any-one. |
A True Story (from the Police News)
A man was on trial for a minor offence. He used the word “Uz“ instead of “Me” in his account of what happened e.g. “He says to uz.”
The magistrate asked how many people were there?
The offender answered “Just me-sel”
The magistrate asked the question:- “Why are you using the plural, instead of the singular?”
The man stood mute; but the clerk said:- “I think it is, sir that one Tyne-sider thinks himself equal to two or more men, of any other part of the country.”
Another story of days gone by; when dialect was freely spoken within the school walls.
Class Under fives
Lesson Oral Composition
Teacher: “Jim! Stand up and tell the class where you were on Saturday.”
Jim: “Uz went ti the futbarl match on Sirurda“
Teacher: “We!”
Jim: “Me fatha ind me”
Sources:
Jane Elizabeth Carr (nee Summerbell)
Jeanne Bennett (Granddaughter)
Patricia Rigg (Granddaughter)
Terry Ford