0121 Do One - Sarcastic Birmingham & West Midlands put down T-Shirt

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First, I must make an important disclaimer. I am not, technically, a Brummie. My family are all Brummies, though they’ve mostly scattered out of the second city. I’ve always lived in the West Midlands, and a few years ago, I moved to Birmingham as a student. Growing up close to the city, the Brummie accent and dialect triggers many fond memories of my childhood, and living in the city means I hear it everywhere I go.

Wench – Though the term is used everywhere to refer to women, it is interpreted by some as being less-than-friendly. Not in Birmingham though, where it is usually used as a term of endearment towards women and girls. Not sure how we feel about this one – we’ll leave it up to you to decide. Now it’s time for the slang terms, phrases and must-knows of the Brummie (and Yam Yam) regional dialect. Island – A traffic roundabout. Don’t expect anything tropical when someone directs you to ‘take a left at the island’. As for consonants, it’s the ‘g’ which makes a big difference. Words with an ‘ng’ sound, like singer, are given a much heavier ‘g’ sound (sin-Ga). However, words with an ‘ing’ ending are often just shortened to an ‘in’, cutting out the ‘g’ altogether, just to confuse you. You’re welcome. Mom – We know, very American. For some reason, Brummies call their mothers ‘Mom’ rather than ‘Mum’ or ‘Mam’, and we’re disappointed that the card retailers in the area haven’t updated their Mothers’ Day cards accordingly.The regular vowel, ‘I’, is often pronounced as ‘oy’, like in ‘choice’ (for example, ‘Oy went to the shops’). Following this pattern, ‘price’ becomes ‘proys’. Town – We’re a city, not a town, but if you’re ‘going into town’, you’re headed straight to the city centre. The short ‘u’ sound, used in words like ‘up’, ‘above’ and ‘hut’, is often lengthened into an ‘oo’ sound, like in ‘took’.

Shrapnel – Loose change. This word features all over the UK, but particularly in the Midlands, and I’ve received many confused looks from dropping it in the presence of non-Brummies. Perhaps that’s just because nobody carries change anymore, but we hope this word doesn’t die out.Tea – This is one to confuse the Southerners, but put your kettle down, ‘tea’ is the evening meal, known as ‘dinner’ in RP.

One of the biggest differences is the way Brummies pronounce their vowel sounds, which tend to be drawn out longer than in ‘standard English’, or received pronunciation (RP).Face as long as Livery Street – Someone who looks unhappy. The phrase comes from the road running from Colmore Row to Constitution Hill, a half-mile in length. Bab – Nice and simple, bab is a word similar to ‘love’, or ‘dear’. It’s a term of endearment, perhaps slightly more often directed at women, but applicable to people of all gender identities. Anyone can be a ‘bab’, from someone you know and love, to someone you’ve just met.

Ark at that – This one probably originated in the West Country, but has travelled across to the West Midlands. It is an instruction to look or listen to something that someone has said, usually as a way to draw attention to something foolish. Do One – Get lost/go away. (0121 is the Birmingham dialling code). Brummies aren’t an unfriendly bunch, and the phrase is often said in jest. The Ramp – Not necessarily slang, but a must-know location, ‘the ramp’ refers to the sloped path that takes you from the main high street to Grand Central shopping centre. It is home to a McDonalds, and is the unofficial meeting point for anyone in Birmingham. Meeting friends, family, or even a date? Chances are, they’ll ask you to meet at ‘Maccies on the ramp’. Pop – Always refers to a drink, though people argue about what it means, specifically. Many use it to refer to fizzy drinks, like lemonade, but some insist that this is ‘fizzy pop’, and that normal pop is just squash. But they’re wrong, obviously. Some people also use ‘council pop’ to describe tap water. More generally, the Brummie accent has a bad reputation, met with a lot of stereotypes, and we have no idea why. It’s delightful, and Brummies are some of the friendliest people in the country.Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together. Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in. Bluenose – A term traditionally used by Aston Villa Football Club fans to taunt their Birmingham City rivals, recently reclaimed by Birmingham City fans. Round the Wrekin – Going the long way round, or telling a long story rather than getting to the point. Named after the Wrekin Hill in East Shropshire.