Sheffield dialect: 14 old words and phrases you'll only understand if you're from city, like clart and sneck

There are many old words and phrases which have long been part of Sheffield dialect but are in danger of dying out

Sheffielders have a way with words, and the city is blessed with a rich and varied dialect.

Only in Sheffield can you tuck into a breadcake (a roll to our friends in the south), enjoy a bag of spice (sweets) and try not to get too mardy (stroppy), while working nine while (not 'to') five.

These words may be unique to Sheffield but they're still well known and used in the city and in some cases beyond, in mardy's case thanks in no small part to the Arctic Monkeys.

There are many more old words and phrases, however, which have long been part of Sheffield dialect but are now much less commonly used and in some cases are in danger of dying out.

David Battye recorded some of those for posterity in his pocket-sized Sheffield Dialect book, which he describes in the foreword as 'an affectionate tribute to a past way of speech of which much has already gone and more will follow'.

Here are 14 of our favourite old Sheffield words and phrases included in his guide to the idiosyncrasies of Sheffield language, from fratchy to sneck lifter.

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