Manchester phrases: 10 words and phrases you’ll only understand if you are from Manchester

We asked on our readers for phrases that you’d only hear in Manchester – and there was a ‘mint’ response.

We’ve whittled the suggestions down to 10 of the most popular – how many of these do you regularly use?

1) Minging

This means “horrible” or “disgusting,” and used in a similar way to two other Manc words “hanging” – pronounced without the “h” – and “rank.”

As with many words in the local accent, the last “g” in both of these are silent.

For example: “That kebab I had last night was mingin.’”

2) Dead

This one simply means “really” or “very,” and can be used interchangeably with other Manc favourites “proper” and “well.”

For example: “I’ve been walking around the Trafford Centre all day, I’m dead tired.”

3) Sound

When describing a person, this means “decent” and “good.” For example: “My new boss is well sound.”

But it can also mean “OK” or “fine” in answer to a question.

“Want to come round for tea tonight?” “Yeah, sound.”

And by “tea” we mean evening meal. If you’re after a cup of tea, then you say “brew.”

4) Ar’kid

This is probably one of the most famous ones and often used by non-Mancunians when trying to impersonate a Mancunian.

Sometimes spelt in full as “our kid” or just “r’kid,” this is a term of endearment used between siblings or close friends.

Reader Wendy Ward suggested this example: “Go mek us a brew r kid, am gaggin!”

Another important word to mention here is “gaggin’” which is our way of saying “thirsty.”

And it’s not just vocabulary that we like to reinvent, it’s grammar too. We often use “us” when we just mean “me.”

5) Mint

When “sound” won’t cut it, you can use “mint,” which means “very good.”

For example: “I’m buzzin’ for Warehouse Project this year, it’s going to be mint.”

Note also the use of the “buzzin’” which is Manc for “excited”.

6) Mither

This means “bother” or “annoy.” So if a Mancunian asks you to stop mithering them, you had better back off.

7) Scran

This is the much-loved Mancunian word for “food.” It can be accompanied by a whole range of adjectives depending on the occasion, such as fat scran, quick scran or posh scran.

8) Ginnel

Known as a “snicket” or “alleyway” in other parts of the country, this is the narrow passage between terraced houses and occasionally heard as part of the phrase “Couldn’t stop a pig in a ginnel.”

So if someone says that you couldn’t catch a pig in one, they are essentially calling you useless.

9) Snide

Here is another word you do not want to be called by a Mancunian. It means “mean” or “tight.”

For example: “Don’t be snide, save us some of those crisps.”

10) Swear down

If you’re trying to convince a Mancunian, adding this to the end of your sentence normally helps. This phrase means “honestly” or “I promise.”

For example: “I did not eat the last biscuit, swear down.”