Across Gradely Manchester

YOUR TOWN TO THOSE WHO LIVE YONNERS IN THE CITY REGION (AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN BURY)

“For example a girl in Rochdale said that she felt her accent was common and broad, but she was really proud of it.

“So that sense of taking pride in it even if some people might see it negatively came through.”

Pronunciation was another recurring issue - with people often taking great pride in how they enunciated particular words.

Describing the pronunciation of the Lancashire town, Dr Drummond said: “There’s a woman from Bury swearing categorically that it’s not Bury (to rhyme with cherry) but it’s Bury (with a more pronounced ‘u’ than flurry).

“You can still be a northerner and still say Bury (to rhyme with curry),” he explains.

Some people even exaggerate their accent BARM / BARMCAKE (bread roll): Found across the city region but especially in Manchester and Salford. AREET (how are you?): Found across the city region but especially in Wigan. PEA-WET (the water from mushy peas): Found in Bolton. LICKLE and HOSPICKLE (little and hospital): Found in the data from Bolton and Bury. FLITCH (back bacon): Found in Bury. CRUCKLED (to go over on your ankle): From Rochdale. SKEN and HAVE A DEKKO AT (to look) Found in the Rochdale data. OW DO, FETTLER? (how are you?) Found in Rochdale. SKRIKING (crying) Discovered in the Oldham data. depending on where they are, the study found. “Some people would be down south and they found themselves strengthening and making themselves more broad,” says Dr Drummond.

“And another woman from Bolton said she went to London and went swimming and she said: ‘Two fer’t baths.’ They didn’t understand her, and she said ‘TWO FER’T BATHS’ – she wouldn’t adapt it at all – she THESSLE (fireplace) Comes from Oldham. YONNERS (people who live yonder, on a hill) Also found in the Oldham data. GRADELY (nice or good) Mainly from Tameside. NESH (feeble or sensitive to the cold) Also found in Tameside. GINNEL-GAGGLE (alley) Found in the Tameside data too. knew what she wanted to say.”

The researchers are now showing off their findings in a new exhibition which is launching this week in Manchester.

The Manchester Voices display will be running at Manchester’s Central Library from today until Thursday, August 31.

To follow future developments and to find out how you can add your own voice to the study, visit manchestervoices.org.