12 things you probably won't understand if you're not from Yorkshire

It's not unknown that us Yorkshire folk have certain quirks and traits, some of which may cause confusion for those who aren't from this region.
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Like all regions around the UK, we have our own dialect and there are certain phrases and things that we do which may only be understood by those who hail from the white rose county.

Here’s a list of things you might not understand if you’re not from the great region that is Yorkshire.

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1. The phrase ‘are you in love?’ means something else if you’re from Yorkshire

Its not unknown that us Yorkshire folk have certain quirks and traits, some of which may cause confusion for those who aren't from this regionIts not unknown that us Yorkshire folk have certain quirks and traits, some of which may cause confusion for those who aren't from this region
Its not unknown that us Yorkshire folk have certain quirks and traits, some of which may cause confusion for those who aren't from this region

For those from Yorkshire, this phrase will probably have been read and understood as somebody asking them if they’re at home, with the sound of their mother’s voice fondly resonating in their ears.

For others, this phrase will usually be interpreted as somebody asking them if they have romantic feelings for another person, quite different from that of the Yorkshire meaning.

2. Not everything in Yorkshire is really ‘near Leeds’

Those who hail from Yorkshire will know the true expanse of the region and that it’s split into North, East, South and West Yorkshire, with there being many cities, towns and villages with this region.

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However, for those from outside of Yorkshire, it’s not always easy to remember the numerous name places around the region and where exactly everything is located, so for those of us from Yorkshire, we usually end up saying that we’re from ‘near Leeds’. Most of the time this isn’t usually the case, but it’s generally easier to say you are.

3. The phrase ‘Put big light on’

With houses and room in houses usually having more than one light, us Yorkshire folk have a nominated ‘big light’. Every Yorkshire home has one and we all know where it is, so when we hear the request to ‘put big light on’ we know exactly what to do.

4. Our unique use of the letter ‘T’

If you’ve heard Yorkshire people talk, you’ll have probably realised that they miss the letter ‘t’ out of their words whenever possible.

However, when there’s the word ‘the’ involved we drop this word completely and substitute it for a ‘t’ instead, e.g. ‘going t’ shops’ is instead of ‘going to the shops’ and ‘going on t’internet’ is instead of ‘going on the internet’.

5. The phrase 'Ey up'

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Yorkshire folk will have heard this phrase from very early on in their lives, as it the substitution for ‘Hello’ or ‘How are you’. It’s thought to have derived from the Norse, “se up,” which is said to mean ‘watch out’.

6. The phrase ‘Alright’

In Yorkshire this phrase can be both a greeting and a question, so it takes experience to know which meaning it carries when somebody asks you it and you don’t always know which one it is, making it even tricker for those from outside of the white county.

7. Yorkshire Tea is in our blood

For those from outside Yorkshire, there are a variety of brands of tea bags which are just as good as the others and there’s probably not really one which triumphs over the rest.

However, if you’re from Yorkshire,you’re most like to be a strong advocate for the tea brand which your region is named after and there’s no other tea bag which can live up to it.

8. The phrase ‘It’s the fine rain that gets you really wet’

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For a region that rain a lot, Yorkshire folk know all about rain and the different types that we might experience when the weather turns bad.

The phrase 'It's the fine rain that gets you really wet’ is known throughout Yorkshire and we know just what this kind of rain is like.

9. Lunch, dinner, tea- they all mean different things

In Yorkshire, lunch is usually called dinner and dinner can be called tea, which can be confusing for those who aren’t from the region and expect tea to mean a cup of tea. It’s all very confusing.

10. ‘Lass’ and ‘lad’

Some Yorkshire folk will refer to a woman or girl as ‘lass’ and a man or boy as ‘lad’, so if you hear the common phrase ‘our lass’ or ‘our lad’, this is what they mean.

11. The Yorkshire accent

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For many people outside of Yorkshire, the accent and dialect can be difficult as it is, with the way we drop the word ‘the’ and have different meanings for different words. However, wait until you’re in a room with a load of Yorkshire people and this will become 10 times harder, with people’s Yorkshire accent usually strengthening when around other Yorkshire folk.

12. The word ‘chuffed’

For many people in Yorkshire, ‘chuffed’, usually meaning that you’re extremely happy or ‘over the moon’. For others outside of Yorkshire, this word doesn’t tend to mean anything, but for Yorkshire folk it’s an expressive word which is even in the dictionary.