Mancunian Slang

I'm not a Mancunian, but I have several Manc-based friends. What sort of slang are you looking for? Any particular meaning?

I only know a few bits and bobs, and some of these aren't exclusive to Manchester, but I know they're used there.

A cup of tea can be referred to as a 'brew', as in "Make us a brew, will you?"

My Manc friend refers to her brother as 'Our Kid' (when he annoys her, she refers to him as a 'cocknobber')

If something is good, it's 'mint', 'sound', or sometimes 'dead good'.

If something is bad, it's 'cack'

To hit someone is to 'lamp' them

As a start you could hit youtube and watch a few interviews by Liam and Noel Gallagher.

Bear in mind that they're more "colourful" and exaggerated than most but it will give you an idea of the construction and rhythm of the accent. it's a hard one to define as I'm in Manchester frequently and don't notice much in the way of distinctive words or phrases beyond simple stuff such as "y'know" and "alright" I probably couldn't pick most mancunians out of a lineup after hearing them speak.

Craig

Edited to add that all of Crunchyblanket's stuff above is good.

I think there's probably the odd word that's slang, but the regional accent is more to to do with pronunciation and grammar. For example, a Mancunian might say "tek" for take. Another characteristic is saying "it were" instead of "it was". None of these are unique to Manchester.

I don't know about the Gallaghers, as they seem to have odd accents to me. If you want an example of a distinctive Mancunian accent then Christopher Eccleston (Dr Who Number 9...I think) is a good one.

Have a look at the movie 24 Hour Party People - it's about the Factory nightclub and record label based in Manchester.

Failing that, as I'm assuming you're not in the UK, try youtube for videos of Britain's longest running soap opera, Coronation Street. Again, it's set in Manchester way.

Regards

Whacko

You could watch Life on Mars. OK, it's set in the 70s so will obviously be dated but it might help you with the flavor of Manchester.

Manchester dialect words. It's also common in Lancashire to use us instead of me. Give us it, give us a kiss, that sorts of thing.

And they say pumps instead of plimsolls. When I moved down to Norfolk aged nine, no-one had a clue what pumps were. I'd say give us our pumps and they'd laugh at us.