Speaking Geordie

3 years ago today I climbed aboard a train at Kings Cross ready to say goodbye to my life as a Londoner and start a new chapter as an honorary Geordie.  Where on earth have the last 3 years gone?

To celebrate my special anniversary I thought I'd share a few of the wonderful Geordie words and sayings that I've picked up over the years.  I have always loved the Geordie accent - from my childhood obsession with Byker Grove to my major girl crush on Cheryl, I have always wished that I had a North East accent.

When I first started visiting Newcastle I was desperate to hear my first "Way Aye" and it was actually quite a while before I heard it because, despite what you may think, people don't walk around the Toon saying it at every given opportunity!

The Geordie accent is so much more than a "Way Aye", it is almost a language in itself, full of wonderful sayings, unique sounds and beautiful words.  Whilst I doubt I'll ever lose my southern accent (sob) I learn more and more about the Geordie dialect every day and on occasion even find the odd word slipping into my every day chat.

Here are just some of my favourite bits of Geordie that I've learnt over the years.

Bairn (means: Baby)

No one says "baby" in the North East - fact!  People have bairns and, if they don't have bairns, they have hairy bairns.  The first time my lovely friend Kayleigh referred to her dog Jay Jay as her "hairy bairn" I almost snorted tea out of my nose!

Shy Bairns Get Nowt (means: You don't ask, you don't get)

This saying is easily my favourite and one I wish I could live my life by.  I find myself quoting it whenever I am brave enough to be cheeky, even if it is just asking the cashier in Tesco to give me a free plastic carrier bag!

"eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" (a great way to start a sentence)

I have no idea why, but in the North East people like to start their sentence with a long "eeeeeeeeee". It's usually a sign of appreciation or support in answer to whatever someone has just said, but sometimes I just think it's a great thing to do to give yourself a bit of time to gather your thoughts before speaking.

Bait (means: lunch)

It took me quite a while to realise that "Bait Box" was a lunch box.   For a while I just thought that everyone in Newcastle was partial to a spot of fishing.  Whenever someone says to me that they're having some bait it really makes me smile, it's definitely one of my favourite Geordie words.

Neb (means: nosy)

We all know I love being nosy so this is definitely a word I enjoy and one I get a bit of use out of.  I quite often arrive home and proudly tell Simon that I've been nebbing through next doors window - he usually tells me off.

Wor (means: our)

"Our" in itself is a northern saying so something I wasn't too familiar with before moving to Newcastle.  Being from the north himself, Simon often refers to his brother as "our kid" which I just love.

Howay! (means: no way!)

"Howay" is something I hear on a daily basis and is probably the one Geordie word that I quite often feel myself about to say.  I think it's only a matter of time before I start using it, I love a word that sums up so many things so easily.

Mortal (means: drunk)

I don't think I've actually heard someone say they were drunk since my relocation to Newcastle, in the North East if you've had too many drinks you're getting mortal!

Canny (means: great, brilliant, good)

Try asking a Geordie to explain to you exactly what canny means and how to use it in a sentence and it gets a little confusing.  It's probably the word that you'll hear most in Newcastle and appears in most conversation.


I could actually sit here writing about Geordie sayings and words all day, there are that many.  Each week I hear something new and i just love that the Geordie language is so unique.

I'd love to hear your favourite Geordie words or sayings, teach me something new!