Geordie Dictionary: Your Beginners Guide to Newcastle Slang

Welcome to Newcastle, where you'll quickly discover that our vibrant city comes with its own unique language—Geordie!

If you're new to the Toon (that’s ‘Newcastle’ to the locals), you might be hearing our local accent for the first time. Some of the words and phrases will be new to you, but don't worry, they're easy to learn. This Geordie Dictionary for beginners is here to help you navigate the colourful world of Geordie slang, phrases, and sayings that you’ll hear around campus and in the city.

Whether you’re looking for a Geordie accent example, trying to decipher written words in our Newcastle dialect, or needing an example of how you might use a term you’ve heard, this guide will act as your Geordie translator.

From understanding Newcastle slang to mastering everyday Geordie words, you’ll soon be chatting like a local. So, dive in and get ready to embrace this warm and friendly English dialect. 

Contents:

1. A - C

2. D - F

3. G - J

4. K - M

5. N - S

6. T - Z

A

Alreet – Alright, often used as a greeting to say hello to someone
Example: "Alreet, how’s the coursework gannin?"

Aall – All
Example: "We’re aall meeting in the library later."

Aye – Yes
Example: "Aye, I’ve finished the assignment."

Awld – Old
Example: "Me awld lecturer still remembers me from last year."

B

Bairn - Baby, child or kid
Example: "There’s a lad in our class who’s got a bairn at hyem."

Bait – Food
Example: "I’ve brought some bait for the study session."

Belta – Good
Example: "That was a belta of a presentation!"

Bonnie/Bonny - Good looking (Bonny lass, bonny lad)
Example: "There’s a bonny lass in our seminar group."

Broon – Short for Newcastle Brown Ale 
Example: "After exams, we’re cracking open a bottle of boron."

C

Canny - Something which is good or nice. It can also be used as an adverb 
Example: "That was a canny good lecture on economics."

Clammin - Very hungry
Example: "I’m clammin, let’s grab something to eat."

Clarty - Dirty
Example: "The kitchen’s clarty after last night’s party."

D

Da – Dad
Example: "Me da called to check how I’m doing with uni."

Dafty - Something or someone who is silly
Example: "Don’t be a dafty, of course I revised for the exam!"

Darlo – Darlington (the name of a town located in the North East of England)
Example: "We’re heading to Darlo for a mate’s birthday."

Dee – Do
Example: "What time do ye dee yer revision?"

Deed – Dead
Example: "Me laptop’s deed, need to borrow one."

Deek/Deeks/Deeky - To take a look at something 
Example: "Let us have a deeks at your notes before the seminar."

Div – Short for ‘divee’ (below) 
Example: "He’s acting like a div, not doing any work."

Divee - Someone who is stupid
Example: "Don’t be a divee, just submit the essay!"

Divent – Don’t 
Example: "Divent forget to submit your assignment online."

Doon – Down
Example: "I’m gannin doon to the shop, need owt?"

E

Eee – Used in front of a sentence or on it’s own when someone is shocked, surprised or excited
Example: "Eee, I can’t believe we’ve got a deadline the morra!"

F

Fatha – Father
Example: "Me fatha’s sending us a care package this weekend."

Forst – First
Example: "I was the forst one to finish the exam."

Frisk – Exciting/excitement 
Example: "He joined the society for the frisk of it."

G

Gadgie / Gadgy - An old man
Example: "There’s an awld gadgie who comes lives down the road."

Gan – Go
Example: "I’m gannin oot with me flatmates tonight."

Gan canny - Take it easy
Example: "Gan canny with the drinks, we’ve got lectures in the morning."

Gaff – House
Example: "We’re having a party at me gaff after exams."

Gaffa – The boss
Example: "The gaffa in our study group is always organising meetings."

Giz – Give
Example: "Giz a hand with this assignment, will ye?"

Gob – Mouth
Example: "Keep yer gob shut during the lecture, man!"

Graft – Work
Example: "It’s been a hard day’s graft in the library."

H

Haald – Hold
Example: "Can ye haald the door for us? Me hands are full."

Hakky – Filthy look/stare
Example: "She gave us a right hakky look when I didn’t answer her question."

Heed – Head
Example: "Me heed’s pounding after all that revision."

Hinny - Girl, woman, lass
Example: "Are ye alreet, hinny? You look stressed."

Howay - Come on. Not to be confused with Haway, which is the Mackem (Sunderland) spelling
Example: "Howay, let’s get this group project finished!"

Hoy – Throw
Example: "Hoy us a pen, will ye?"

Hyem - Home
Example: "I’m gannin hyem for the weekend to see my family."

I

J

Jarra – Jarrow (a town in the North East of England)
Example: "I’m visiting a friend in Jarra next week."

Joon – June 
Example: "We’ve got exams right through Joon."

K

Kip – Sleep
Example: "I’m off for a kip before the next lecture."

Kidda - A younger person, often used as a term of endearment when talking about someone younger 
Example: "Alreet, kidda, fancy a pint after class?"

Kna – Know eg. ‘aye a kna’
Example: "Aye, I kna what the lecturer was on about now."

Knacks - When something hurts
Example: "Me head knacks after that statistics lecture."

Knackered – Tired or broken 
Example: "I’m knackered after staying up all night revising." OR “My laptop’s knackered, I need to borrow one from the library.”

L

Lad - Man, boy, male
Example: "He’s a canny lad, always sharing his notes."

Lass - Women, girl, female
Example: "That lass from our seminar is propa smart."

Liberty - something which is not fair 
Example: "It’s a liberty having coursework to do over the holidays"

Like – added to the end of sentences 
Example: "What do ye think of the new lecturer, like?"

M

Ma - Mum    
Example: "Me ma sent us a care package with all sorts of snacks."

Mam – Mum
Example: "I need to call me mam after class."

Mackem - Someone from Sunderland (a city in the North East of England)
Example: "He’s a Mackem, but we still get along fine."

Marra - A friend
Example: "Alreet, marra, how’s your dissertation coming along?"

Mags/Magpies - Geordies, someone from Newcastle or supporters of Newcastle United Football Club
Example: "The Mags are playing at home this weekend, can’t wait to gan."

Man - Frequently used at the end of a sentence (not gender specific)
Example: "Divvent dee that, man.”

Me – My
Example: “Me new English tutor is really good.”

Mebbees - Maybe 
Example: "Mebbees we should start the assignment the morra."

Minging – Something horrible looking, sounding or smelling
Example: "That takeaway last night was minging, never ordering from there again."

Mint - Something great
Example: "That new jacket ye got is mint, where’s it from?"

Mortal – Drunk
Example: "He was absolutely mortal at the student night.”

N

Na/Nah/Nar – No
Example: Na/Nah/Nar: "Nar, I’m not gannin oot tonight, too much work."

Nee – No (usually used before ‘way’ ‘chance’)
Example: "There’s nee way I’m finishing this essay by the deadline!"

Neebody – Nobody
Example: "Neebody turned up for the study group."

Neet – Night
Example: "I’ve got a revision session planned for the neet."

Netty – Toilet
Example: "I need to nip to the netty before we head to the lecture."

Nowt – Nothing
Example: "There’s nowt on telly worth watching."

Nen – None
Example: "There’s nen of those books left in the library."

O

Oot – Out
Example: "We’re gannin oot for a bite to eat after class."

Owa – Over
Example: "Come owa here and help us with this project."

P

Pet - Term of endearment when referring to someone
Example: "Alreet, pet, how was your seminar?"

Polliss - Police 
Example: "The polliss were very friendly when I spoke to them in town."

Propa – Adverb to emphasise something
Example: "That was a propa good lecture on history."

Q

R

Radge – Getting annoyed/angry
Example: "He went radge when he realised he’d missed the deadline."

Reet – Right
Example: "I’ll be reet there in a minute, just finishing this up."

S

Sand Dancer - Someone from South Shields (a city in the North East of England)
Example: "There’s a Sand Dancer on our course, he’s invited me to visit him at the weekend.”

Scran – Meaning ‘food’, but can also be used as a verb ‘scranning’
Example: "I’m starving, let’s get some scran before the next lecture."

Sel’ – Self
Example: "Look after yersel’, mate, it’s a tough term."

Singing Hinnie - A type of Northumberland cake 
Example: "We made some singing hinnies in our cooking class the other day."

Spelk - A splinter/bit of wood found under your skin
Example: "I got a spelk in me finger."

Stottie - A kind of bread originating from the North East of England
Example: "There’s nowt better than a bacon stottie for breakfast before lectures."

T

Ta – Thanks
Example: "Ta for helping us with the group project."

Tatie – Potato
Example: "Can ye grab a tatie while we’re at the shop?"

Telt - Told
Example: "I telt ye the deadline was extended."

The day – Today
Example: "I’ve got a big presentation the day, wish us luck."

The morra – Tomorrow
Example: "I’ll see ye the morra in the seminar."

Toon - Town (also used to refer to Newcastle)
Example: "We’re gannin to the Toon."

Toon Army - Nickname for Newcastle United Football Club
Example: "The Toon Army’s aal ready for the big game this weekend."

Tret – Treated
Example: "She’s always tret us well, can’t complain."

U

Us - Me
Example: "Pass us the notes, would ye?"

V

W

Waak – Walk
Example: "Fancy a waak to clear yer head before we start revising?"

Wag/Wagging – Truanting/skipping a lesson at school
Example: "They’re always wagging lectures.”

Wey Aye - Yes! Used for emphasis 
Example: "Wey aye, man, I’d love to gan oot tonight!"

Wey – Well
Example: "Wey, that was a tough exam, wasn’t it?"

Wor – Our, used as an affectionate term when referring to a family member or partner eg. wor lad / wor lass 
Example: "Wor lad’s just started his first year

Wor kid – Used when referring to a sibling or friend (usually male)
Example: "Wor kid’s coming over later for a catch-up."

Worky Ticket - Someone who's misbehaving 
Example: "They’re being a right worky ticket, winding everyone up."

X

Y

Yas – When referring to a group of people 
Example: "Are yas ready to gan to the Students’ Union?"

Ye – You
Example: "Ye should’ve seen the look on his face!"

Yersel’ – Yourself
Example: "Help yersel’ to some scran."

Z