Alternate Mining Glossary.

[John]

For "tongue in cheek" comedic mining terminology.

[dazbt]

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ALTERNATIVE GLOSSARY
Of COAL MINING AND GEORDIE WORDS or EXPRESSIONS;

Part 1
A-B.

ADIT:- Commonly used to express completion of a miner’s snap or lunch break.

ADVANCED HEAD:- A mechanical engineering term , where the face fitter peers under the rip in order to check that he shearer is still running.

ADVANCED FACE:- Similar to above but relating to the electrician who doesn’t go quite as far under the rip to conduct his exams.

A.F.C.s.:- Related to conveyors, often when the unexpected stoppage of a man riding conveyor occurs the unified cry of “A Flipping Crying Shame” ensues.

AIR SPLIT:- The resultant of a common management expression when wages are being negotiated, the workman will often be said to have split airs.

AIR WAY:- A Scottish mining term, in the context of “ You do it yor way and we’ll do it it AirWay”.

ANEMOMETER:- Not sure how this got in the Mining Glossary I believe it to some kind of measuring instrument used in horticulture and at flower shows.

ANTHRACITE:- Again, I think from Agriculture, a lesser derivative of a bovine killer disease.

ARCH GIRDER:- A term given to a main gate ripper involved in the Girl Guides Organisation in some way.

AUGER:- From Scandinavian mythology, a distorted, fearsome, man eating gremlin, but often used as a friendly term for overmen and occasionally deputies.

AUXILLIARY FAN:- Often a supplementary application of one or more fruit bats or occasionally in smaller mines flocks of sparrows.

BACKFIL:- Or alternatively Backpete or Backjim, accompanies “Hey watch yer….”

BACK RIPPING:- A socio-sexual expression, often accomplished after periods of forced abstinence, eg, on returning from prison or a three week long darts match in France.

BAFF WEEK:-This is the miner’s statutory ablutions period, normally at three month intervals, although some miners appeared to have managed much longer periods between Baffs.

BAIT:- In days of yore a common sport amidst mining communities whereby dumb animals were teased and goaded, today a similar sport applied to apprentices, canteen women and onsetters.

BANK:- A multiplicity of meanings, used in phrases such as “Don’t Bank on getting a water-note today”, or the stage name of an Afro American Rapper……..Terr Bank.

BANKSMAN:- Used to be the non PC Banksman, but more properly titled “Colliery Vertical Transportation Executive Coordinator (Upper)”

BEETHOVEN:- Beet pronounced as Bait and Oven obviously a cookery aid, so possibly a warm place to soften the dripping in winter.

BELL WIRES:- A very primitive electrical signalling device, used to rouse Paddy haulage engine drivers and warn of impending shift completion.

BELLMAN:- Now this one is not likely to ring any Bells with anyone not of mining country folk, but along with Fido and Dido, Bellman was the greatest of all foxhunting hounds.

BELT:- Often old rope or even braided shotfiring cable used to prevent the loss of trousers.

BELT EXTENSION:- Increased length of rope required within weeks of being given a job in the time office, canteen or winder.

BELT IDLER:- A friendly term to describe the role of conveyor maintenance persons.

BELT TAKE UP:- Secondary trouser support in the form of braces in instances of weight loss.

BILES:- A description given by a miner suffering with a terrible head cold and haemorrhoids.

BIELD:- Relating to running late, eg, to Bield back in the pit bottom at the end of a Friday afternoon shift was a mortal sin.

BIT:- Not a lot, or alternatively used with the term Gizza when attempting to relieve a mate of a chew of “bacca”.

BITUMOUS COAL:- No real idea what this is, but I suspect it could be the 5mm piece of sharpened coal that somehow found its way up your trouser leg and lodged itself between your knee and the knee pad immediately before you entered the face and knelt on it, I guess it could be called the Bit u miss Coal.

BLACK DAMP:- A dangerous substance, can cause hallucinations and unconsciousness in humans, frequently found in surface buildings and often called Guinness.

BLAST:- An exclamation of disgust or disdain, often accompanying Daman.

BOLT TORQUE:- A discussion or chat on the relative merits of British Standard Whitworth as opposed to American Fine.

BOOSTER FAN:- Similar to Auxiliary Fan, but using cockerels as Rooster Boosters in place of the lesser volume producing bats.

BORER:- A miner who insists on repeating the same old stories and jokes.

BRATTICE:- Like thin sheets of liquorice but much more difficult to chew

BREAKER:- A miner whose job it is to reduce machinery to scrap, shearer drivers are well known for their competency at this.

BREAK LINE:- A clumsy form of the Northumberland miner’s formation step dance or the point immediately before an under-manager’s apoplectic outburst.

BREASTING:- A weekend sporting activity amongst the younger unmarried miners.

BROCKWELL:- An item beyond economical repair, see BREAKER and reference to shearer drivers.

BROKEN PLACE:- Often the result of Miner’s Social Clubs or Betting Offices when relating to family homes.

BULLETS:- These are snippets of information provided to Union Representatives prior to weekly Consultation Meetings.

BUNKERS:- Work shy miners.

BYUTS:- In Yorkshire this expression would be BOOITS to be worn with PIT TRARSERS and COITS, all are forms of underground apparel.

[dazbt]

OK, not much response, but will try C-D;


CAGE:- A security container used for transporting apoplectic under-mangers safely out of the mine.

CANOPY:- Fray Bentos make these in several recipes, steak and kidney, minced beef and onion being two.

CAP LAMP:- A form of illumination attached to miner’s helmets in order to assist deployment overmen to make accurate head counts.

CAPPERS:- One liners that normally stop a boastful conversation.

CARTRIDGE:- A mid leg medical problem area caused by constant kneeling in low seams.

CAVILLS:- Not sure about this but I think you add them onto wills or possibly a hamster type pet.

CAVED IN:- Something a deputy does just before writing out a water note under duress.

CAVING:- A descriptive opinion of mining, common amongst student apprentices and management trainees fresh from universities.

CHOCK:- The better paid face workers can afford this on their biscuits.

CHOW:- Italian miners’ farewell.

CHUMMINGS:- Left over dog food, worth bearing in mind during lengthy strikes or lockouts.

CLARTY:- In Yorkshire this would be knicker like.

CLAES:- Clooers in Yorkshire.

CLAY:- Used in the manufacture of Church Wardens and Area Directors.

CLEANING UP:- All that is left for a miner to do after a Thatcheristic redeployment exercise.

CLOSER:- Last words in wage negotiation e.g. “There won’t be a penny more” or “ Well in that case, stuff yer pit”.

CLOUTS:- See CLARTY, Yorkshire dialect word for knickers.

COAL CLEANING:- A job once done by hand at Barnburgh Colliery in order to polish Buckingham Palace fuel.

COAL PREPARATION PLANT:- An alternative name for Thorne Colliery, founder members of the Y.C.P.S……………………..Yorkshire Coal Preservation Society. Sunk in the 1950’s and still being preparing for coal production into the 21st Century.

COALFACE WORKING:- A compulsory topic for discussion in Tap Rooms and Working Men’s Club Games rooms, this topic reversed at work ,ie. Tap Room antics
and discussions subject to verbal analysis whilst working on the coalface.

COLLIERY:- A recreational centre consisting of a canteen , showers and pay office, with underground exercise areas for those that choose to use them.

CONTINOUS MINER :- A workman doing a double shift or longer.

CONTRABAND:- Cigars, cigarettes or other smoking materials smuggled in from France or Belgium and sold in the baths for half shop prices, oh ! and not to be taken underground and thus committing the serious and complicated offence of smuggling contrabanded smuggled contraband.

CONTROL ROOM:- A 24 hour manually operated speaking clock.

CRACKET:- Used in conversations between surface control room attendants and engineering staff dealing with underground machinery failure, in the context of “The gaffer wants to know how long it will take to CRACKET ?”

CRADLES:- A nickname for a transformer, alternatively known as an electrician’s hammock.

CREEPER AND CRAWLEY:- Normally used together to describe any form of insect life underground and manager’s clerks.

CRUSHER:- One in every team of main gate rippers.

CRUT:- The contents of canteen pies.

DAN:- In times of desperation he is your man.

DESFORD MUSHROOM CHOCKS:- Like chocolate locusts, an acquired taste. Not many in a 1lb box either.

DRAG:- Towards the end of a hard shift, a function of time evolvement.

DREGS:- Canteen tea.

DEPLOYMENT CENTRE:- A sort of underground combination Dole Office and Job Centre.

DEPUTY:- Oxford dictionary explains that this is a substitute for the real thing, no further explanation is necessary.

DETONATOR:- Was at the very top of Guy Fawkes Wish List.

DEVELOPMENT WORKS:- Yes it does, sometimes.

DILUTE GAS:- Relates to the reduction in concentration of foul and obnoxious gas emissions. This could be accomplished by banning the consumption of beer, eggs, beans cabbage etc, at least one week before allowing a miner to start work, failing that adequate airflow must be ensured.

DINTING:- A term given to the function of walking into low roof areas or hanging backboards.

DIP:- A pleasantry, a greeting to a lesser thought of colleague, a derivative of Dip Stick and used in the context of “Heyup yer dip, gerrart of the way”.

DIRT:- A little like gossip, but more exciting to listen to.

DISC:- A slipped one is worth about 3 month off work.

DIVN’T:- I just divn’t naw aboot this wun.

DOWNCAST SHAFT:- A depressed hole in the floor.

DRIFT:- To wander aimlessly in and out of, as in thought, sleep, consciousness, moral integrity, comprehension, dreams, reality and lucidity, a staple requirement of all levels of colliery management.

DRILL:- A necessary component factor in the successful growing of leeks, often the subject of underground teach ins.

DRIVE:- A feature that manager’s houses have but terraced rows don’t need.

DOWTY:- A successful engineering company that manufacture powered roof supports and aeroplane hydraulic components, any one else having experienced the same number of burst hoses on chocks will accept why I choose only to travel by Ferry.(Only kidding, Dowty are world leaders in catastrophe management control).

DUCKS:- Described as Fagots in the North East Coal Field, in which case they would be poufs in Yorkshire. In Derbyshire everyone is a DUCK.

DUDS:- A potentially explosive device that doesn’t work, once again under-managers spring to mind as examples of these.

DUES:- Belonging to a most respected religious group, but not many amongst the ranks of miners.

[John]

Some very funny variations on the glossary Daz! Keep it up mate!

[dazbt]

E - F;

EIMCO:- ( I’m-co) Possibly the present operational tense of “Will-co”.

EXTRACTION:- Often applied underground as part of a urine removing process.

FACE:- Most miners by necessity have at least two.

FACE ENTRY:- Often referred to as Gob, used mainly at snap times.

FALL:- As in; to FALL from Grace, man-riding belts or FALL into, debt, disgrace, a deep sleep or a pump sump.

FAULT:- A place at which no mine management is ever found.

FEEDER:- See BULLETS, normally the FEEDER of bullets is a miner of little knowledge and lesser courage.

FEND:- A close mate of a very short tongued miner.

FILLING:- The negative component relating to canteen pies, sandwiches and deputies helmets.

FISSURE:- An Irish miner’s reply to any question relating to his ability or competence to do a job, e.g. “Can you use a shovel”…………..reply “FISSURE I can, Sir”

FLAID:- Sorry, as used in Chinese takeaways e.g. “We no have king flied lice am FLAID”

FLAT:- Colliery electricians normal posture, albeit in operational readiness of course, unless his eyes are closed.

FLEE:- Another Chinese takeaway expression meaning gratis, very rarely used.

FLIGHT BARS:- Charter planes travelling between Newcastle and Benidorm have these specially extended structures and bouncers.

FLOOR:- I believe this to be he major ingredient in Doorhum Baps.

FLOOR HEAVES:- Possibly a house construction term, like roof eaves only lower down.

FOOT BLOCKS:- A motor vehicle pedal adaptor device which enables the Mini Miner to drive cars larger than an Austin Metro.

FORENENST:- Miners from other countries working in English collieries, mainly Scottish, Welsh, Poles and Geordies.

FORK:- One of the commonest used words underground, this version however is used mainly by the new entry University Graduate in junior management or in the posher speaking Nottinghamshire Coalfield.

FOURTEENTH WEST:- Like Number 10, Downing Street, this is the famous address of a miner’s flat somewhere in the North East.

FOWER:- A golfing term , the mining equivalent being “Watch yer back” or “Hod up”

FRIABLE:- Applies to bacon, sausages, black pudding, bread, eggs and clumsy electricians.

[dazbt]

G-H

Remember to take salt with each each one!!

GAFFER:- Similar to a Gofer but with a higher salary.

GALLERY:- A collective term given to the group of miners who are always first in the pit bottom, usually before the end of the shift. Always used in the context of Rogues’ GALLERY.

GANNIN HYEM:- Pass…………………..no English equivalent found.

GEAR:- Heard on Sunday afternoons in Miner’s Clubs and Institutes as the stripper is introduced by the excited committeeman “Come on lads GEAR a big round of applause now”.

GIN:- With tonic is a senior management’s alternative to a pint of bitter.

GOAF AND GOB:- A leading Geordie Glossary describes these two words as meaning one and the same, but I have yet to be told to “Shut yer GOAF”.

GRAVIMETRIC:- A delicate and complicated instrument used for measuring the viscosity of canteen sauces and gravy.

GREET:- “Hey up pal, love, duck, marrar, cock, mate, surri,” are all applications of the verb TO GREET, more localised to Barnsley Collieries is the unique use of the GREETING: “Arrthargooinonthen?”.

HALF BAR:- £500,000

HEWER:- Relating to second person e.g. Wife to collier about to set off to the pit on Monday day shift…… “I think HEWER boots are on the wrong feet Pet”, with the retort of “Ay Pet, HEWER right, they should be on HEWERS”.

HITCH:- Pulling up of or irritation caused by new serge working trousers.

HOLED:- A miner realises that he is this when his hair turns grey.

HORSEHEADS:- The front pointed parts of ponies, used by drivers to indicate or determine direction of travel.

HOSS THE SCRUBBIN FULL UNS :- ********$$$$$$$$&&&&&&*********, I think this is a Swedish expression.

HYDROPROOF:- An explosive used under water, notoriously difficult to light.

HYGROMETER:- An instrument used by training officers to measure the growth in height of apprentices and trainees.

HYEL:- A declaration of intent e.g. “HYEL do that later” similar to HASSLE or AMGUNNA.

[dazbt]

I - L;

INBYE:- An expression commonly by parents speaking to teenagers e.g. “You’d better be INBYE nine thirty, or else”.

INSPECTOR:- A further expression used as above but only to the teenage sons and usually by the mother e.g. “Bring her round for tea on Sunday and I’ll INSPECTOR”.

INTAKE:- Appertaining to diets, calorie and beer monitoring.

JOWL:- These are obtained by not observing the above.

JUDD:- An alternative name for George or given to anyone who’s name is not known to the speaker. Policemen are known to dislike being called Judd, especially around pub closing times.

KEEP THE SUMP AWAY:- A modern derivative of King Canutes famous prayer. Canute being the patron saint of pump operators and his words now incorporated into their Coat of Arms.

KELLY SWEEPS BACK – TURNS:- Could be Gaelic, for a singing, dancing, road sweeping actor’s antics, star of the 1950’s Hollywood musicals.

KELTER:- A vertical helix found in children’ play areas., designed originally by the famous German mining engineer; HERR. HELTERS.

KEN:- Don’t know this one.

KENNED:- Australian mining expression to denote full drunkenness, e.g. “By the end of the evening I was fully KENNED up Blue”.

KIST:- Short sighted, unsuspecting miners can get this from fat, elderly, giggling canteen women at Christmas under a secreted sprig of plastic mistletoe hung above the tea urn.

KNAA:- A Polynesian youth, when full grow becomes a KNAAKERNAAKER (Not many people know that).

LASHING CHAINS:- Issued to miners in exchange for marriage vows.

LEG:- An item often pulled in order to offset boredom but can hold things up a bit.

LIQUEFACTION:- A combination word taken from liquor and satisfaction, is often expressed in clubs and pubs at the time of last orders, e.g. The landlord’s shouted enquiry; “Is everyone at a point of adequate LIQUEFACTION or are there more orders?”.

LOCO:- A pseudo medical term, potential deputies have to be tested positive for this, before being certified.

[dazbt]

Does anybody apart from those born within spitting distance of Durham understand any of this drivel?

[John]

Sept 25, 2009 4:32:32 GMT -5 dazbt said:

Does anybody apart from those born within spitting distance of Durham understand any of this drivel?

Well I do and I was born much further south than Donny, Daz!

[timberlad]

me too John although i am from yorkshire LOL

[dazbt]

M - O

MANAGERS RULE:- Some with rods of iron and others with kid gloves.

MANHOLE:- A point of potential ambush by management on unsuspecting early leavers.

MARRER:- In Yorkshire it is an insipid green vegetable in Durham it is something to rely upon for friendship and conversation,……….. Ah well, you can’t choose where you are born, but you do choose your mates.

METHANE:-A naturally produced readily combustible gas which can be a major danger in coal mines. It is well known that cows, who do not consume copious quantities of beer and beans produce around 100kg of METHANE annually, it could therefore be argued that the average male miner, who although occasionally of a lesser stomach size than their bovine cousins, do consume far more METHANE producing raw materials and as such are likely to unload an equal or greater amount of this lethal gas. A study into coal mine safety in the USA, being conducted by Professors Alf Hart and Hugh Trump after almost twelve months of METHANE MONITORING have reached and are at present preparing a technical conclusion which offers several recommendations, the least likely to be accepted of which was to try and find Teetotal Miners who infrequently had beans on toast, or more likely to be accepted and easier to implement would be to employ underground only members of the Tory Government, Royal Family and Women, based upon the warranted knowledge that none of these categories have ever been known to fart.

METHANE MONITOR:- See reference to same in above METHANE definition.

METHANE DRAINAGE:- Failed attempts to prevent the consumption of methane making products is being superseded by the issuing of airtight expandable boiler suits to known producers which are vented or drained into specialised containers on reaching the surface. There are teething problems though, it has already been established that the average collier working 6.75 hour shift is likely to reach a bodily circumference of approximately 5 metres which rules out relatively thin seam working and collieries with small diameter shafts. It has also been recognised that there is potential for a dangerous occurrence in the event of tearing or seal failure, particularly towards the end of a shift.

MISSFIRE:-Almost a day to day occurrence with some mine managers who glibly issue the “See me in my office you’re sacked” issued and rescinded equally as quickly to man or horse, when the mood takes him.

MORPHIA:- Was this the daughter of Morpheous, God of the dream-world and patron saint of NCB Colliery Production Target Setters.

NATURAL VENTILATION:- A flow of air created directly forward of bellowing mangers.

NEB:- A nasal funnel designed to accommodate coal dust and provide a means of ingesting snuff.

NICK:- If you were NICKED and got NICKED NICKING KNICKERS, then you could well end up in the NICK.

NOWT:- The negative side of owt

NUM:- Deprived of feelings and sensations, a state or condition resultant of Thatcherism.

ODDUN:- Always one or two in a coal mine, usually an onsetter, van driver or security man. (Deputies and overmen are obviously exempt from this, as they are required by Statute of the Mines and Quarries Act to be odd).

ONSETTER:- Now known as “Colliery Vertical Transportation Executive Coordinator (Ascending)”

OUTBYE:- A commonly used miner’s expression applied around 11.0am on Sundays, as he dashes through the back door shouting to his beleaguered wife as he does so “Just nipping OUT, BYE pet, see yer later”.

OUTBURST:- Tantrum or act of vented vernacular venom, commonly issued from men in authority, of little consequence and nearly always ignored by a passive audience.

OUTCROP:- An almost unavoidable physical midriff display indicative and directly proportionate to the rate of excessive beer drinking over many years, a common characteristic amongst miners.

OVERCAST:- A good omen for afternoon shift workers about to descend, bright skies and sunshine have been known to cause problems.

OVERWIND:- A very serious and dangerous occurrence, usually resultant of human error but possibly a mechanical failure, it has been known to cause a total loss of time orientation whereby miners end up spending inordinate periods of time underground, it has even been known to create a situation where full underground shifts have been worked, although very rarely. The only realistic solution is the application of an Automatic watch as opposed to a manual wind up type.

OWER:- A miner in debt.

[dazbt]

P - R;

PACK:- A dry stone wall support sometimes demanded to be built in strange and unexpected places, the often aggressive instruction from girlfriends and wives to construct these on park benches, in bedrooms and on front door steps, under the demand of “You had better PACK that now lad”. Alternatively; a group of three or more deputies.

PADDY:- Used to transport miners to and from the coal face, usually a big lad from Mayo

PAN:- A metallic construction for conveying coal and boiling potatoes in, not the most hygienic of utensil applications.

PANEL:- A solid block yet to be worked, sometimes referred to as a Working Men’s Club Committee.

PEAT:- A young Coal, his father George Coal is a famous actor.

PENOBEL:- Some kind of awarded prize for more volatile examples of novel writing.

PICKS:- within a Canteen Disclaimer Notice, “Yer pays yer money and takes yer PICKS, at yer own risk”

PILLAR:- A bag of stone dust accompanying a back board as a bolster.

PINCH BAR:- A burglar’s Jemmy??

PLANKS:- A collective name for intellectually and vertically challenged miners often found in pairs.

PNEUMOCONIOSIS:- A killer disease caused by coal dust in the lungs of miners, the reduction in occurring frequency of this must be one of the few benefits of pit closures.

POINTS:- The second person present time process of personal digital indication., i.e.
from the verb to point I point , you point , she POINTS.
Alternatively; an order given in a Dublin pub, generally accompanied with the words Two and Please.

POM POM:- An Australian pastime enacted in tourist areas of Sydney, otherwise known as counting the English visitors.

POUT:- Relates to mistletoe see the above reference to KIST.

PRESHIFT INSPECTION:- The most important aspect of these checks is an engineering duty to establish that the cage is still attached to the winding rope.

PULL LIFTS:- A patent surgical truss type device, often required by miners who boasted of previously being able to carry a ring crown on each shoulder.

PUTTER:- Another golf term, a club house expression i.e. used in the context of “ PUTTER another whiskey in here please”.

RAP:- Now here’s a little story you all know well
About Banksman Bill, we think he’s swell
By simply RAPPING he rings a bell
Sending me and me marrows down into Hell,
Me and me marrows and others as well.
Time for a shift in a man made hole
Not for us to live on the dole
We’re men of conscience and of soul
Here everyday to dig this sodding coal.

This rap was specially composed by EMINEM for Pitwork
EMIENEM being EAST MIDLANDS INSTITUTION for NEUROTIC EX MINERS.

RECKONING:- A special day in a miner’s life. The main Day of RECKONING starts the first morning after the wedding.

REDDING:- A place of little interest to coal miners out-with of a major Lotto win.

RIB:- To cajole, jibe or goad a fellow worker in a not unpleasant manner.

RIDE:- To travel by means of a mechanical conveyance, the term of manriding being used as an underground expression only, as it could be considered risqué in other company.

RIPPERS:- The mining equivalent of Jungle Silverbacks.

RIVING AND CHEWIN:- A special technique of applied mastication when attempting to consume pit canteen meals, particularly the vintage steak pies always on offer.

ROOF:- A geological term for the formation always furthest away from the floor, whether that distance be near or far, but becoming complicated in definition as coal seams become nearer to a vertical inclination (I would have thought!!!). In vertical seams this could well cause disorientation to a miner not knowing whether he was stood upright or lying down, perhaps. i.e. To have ones back parallel to the floor and be facing the roof surely means that you are laid down, or then again does it??

[John]

Roof. See, I was never lying down, just working in vertical seams! ;D

[dazbt]

S - T;

SAFETY LAMP:- In years gone by it was used as a superb indicator of impending trouble in the form of noxious gasses, in more modern times its distant presence indicates impending trouble in the form of obnoxious management.

SAFETY MODIFICATION:- Changes made to ensure underground safety, e.g. Chocolate manufacturers exchanged the original Kit Kat foil wrapping for greaseproof paper and Mars removed all the work from their chocolate bar to prevent injury.

SCOTCH:- A support in bottled form, which after application is usually replaced by a wall.

SCHAFFLER:- The official Pitwork glossary relates to this as a small Austrian shotfirer, presumably a Mid-European race of Pygmies with deputies papers.

SEARCH:- An automatic function whereby a wife conducts a SEARCH through a miner’s pockets on his return from a night out in order to determine how much he spent and where possible on whom.

SECOND MEANS OF EGRESS:- An important safety precaution, usually an open bedroom window provided by wives for the express use of milkmen, coal men, insurance collectors etc.

SELF RESCUER:- A drunken miner with the ability to recover from a flat on his face fall and then find his own way home.

SETTING TIMBER:- A usually fruitless horticultural or sylvicultural attempt to grow trees from props on the allotment.

SHAFT:- A managerial applied verb particularly relevant to wage negotiations.

SHEARER:- A Geordie would say it identifies an above average football player signed to the Magpies, a Yorkie would reckon it was some kind of fleecer.

SHIFT:- An impolite term for “Please move out of the way”

SHOON:- I presume that this is the Northern past tense of SHOO, an expression or command issued to cows and noisy nuisance children.

SHOT STICK:- A shooting stick that has already been fired or discharged.

SHUTTLE CAR:- Is this anything to with the book by Tennessee Williams, the one named Desire??

SKELP:- A half hearted blow with the flat hand usually across the head of a cheeky young haulage lad.

SKEUL:- A place of education and enlightenment, where children in Durham and the North East attend to be taught the correct spelling and pronunciation of words such as school.

SLACK:- The opposite of tight, therefore must be the same as sober.

SLICKENSIDED:- The polished effect of sliding along the Gas Works’ wall on the way home from the club.

SLIP:- A sporting term often used on Friday nights e.g “I managed to give our lass the SLIP and went to the pub with my mates”.

SMALLS:- A delicate subject often relating to delicates, although in the case of many miner’s wives the smalls would really be much larger.

SNA’BALL DRAW:- Lottery in a working man’s club (Balls with numbers on). The number of participants dramatically reduced, when in the 1960’s as a result of cheating the rules were changed and their balls were required to have the numbers tattooed on them.

SNAP:- Food taken underground the quality and quantity of which declined in direct proportion with the time distance from paydays. Alternatively; a function of rapid oral manipulation for which alligators and overmen are renowned.

SNAP NOTES:- A written statutory order issued to lethargic miners not able to complete a work remit within the allocated shift, it ensures that they have to consume a fixed amount of canteen produce as a punishment, in the hopes of preventing a reoccurrence of a similar delay.

SOUNDING:- An essential part of the Saturday night courting ritual, when searching for mutual acceptance between male and female contenders.

SPECIFIC GRAVITIES:- Particular areas of concern, e.g. increased cost of canteen tea.

SPUGGIES:- See SNAP and relate to the days immediately before payday. (Note:- three sparrows to two slices of bred was the norm).

STAGE LOADER:- Many collieries had superb Brass Bands and required roadies or STAGE LOADERS to help them set up speakers, larger instruments etc.

STAITHE:- Many books have been written about these coal loading structures, but in recent times it has been realised that they are hardly worthwhile investing in, as there is little interest in these STAITHING ACCOUNTS.

STONEMAN:- An inert carved statue of human likeness not to be confused with the normally stationary electrician or fitter.

SUBSIDENCE:- The falling cost of living, perhaps.

SUMP:- The main difference between a camel and a donkey.

SUP:- An often heard question at the time of face production stoppages, e.g. “What SUP wi the belts”. Alternatively the process of drinking, normally referred to in the context of beer consumption.

SUPPLIES:- These were exaggerated stories related on Monday mornings outlining claims of vast quantities of beer having been SUPPED over the weekend.

SWILLEY:- A low class beer drinking establishment.

SWITCHES:-An endearing term that a miner’s would use to describe ownership of his wife’s possessions.

TADGER:- Same as TODGER in Yorkshire, a kind of male thing.

TAIL GATE:- American for rear of a vehicle, in Yorkshire more often relating to trouser zip fasteners.

TANDEM:- A double barrelled update on the old Gresham Flyer designed to accommodate one cycling enthusiast and one not so enthusiastic rear pretender.

TIN:- A definition of location, e.g If it TINT TIN then it must be out.

TIPPLER:- Internationally describes an enthusiastic consumer of alcoholic shorts, visions here of a cannibal lurking outside a Congo Jungle Pub at closing time.

TIRFOR:- A last resort birthing aid or mechanical means of removing reluctant miners from after hours card games from tap room to Sunday dinner table at home.

TROT:- The last horse in a £5 Yankee line up decides to do this normally.

TUNDISH:- This is the special plate that a ripper carries with him at all times perchance he is invited to a BBQ, buffet or eat all you want Smorgasbord.

[dazbt]

U - Z,

UNDERCUT:- Drunk but somewhere between full and half cut.

UNDERMANAGER:- Often a secretarial position.

UPCAST SHAFT:- A reversal of roles for the gullet, particularly likely after Saturday nights out drinking followed by an Indian takeaway.

VELOCITY:- Resultant of directional acceleration necessary to avoid infliction of wounds from a mad deputy’s flailing stick, a wifely well aimed vase, or irate husband’s unexpected return.

WATER GAUGE:- An instrument oftimes demanded by semi paralysed, drunken miners at closing time in order to test the alcoholic content of the alleged “Weak as wizz” beer they have been drinking all night.

WATER NOTE:- An award of merit given to miners who have bravely surmounted the verified, life endangering risk of drowning or alternatively having unsuccessfully taken part in the sport of puddle jumping.

WAY:- The proper method of performing a work task, always at variance to the management WAY

WEB:-A device that enables you to look at the worlds’ best, most interesting and coalmining site at www.dmm-pitwork.org.uk/html/index.htm
next to this one of course ……….

WEDGE:- A device to be driven into a small space in order to forcibly create a bigger gap, miner’s wives and family cars are often combined to create such a WEDGE.

WHITE DAMP:- This is an aerated form of BLACK DAMP and always sits on top of it, often called the head. (see BLACK DAMP)

WINDER:- A device for ensuring that miner’s pocket watches can be adjusted to the correct time, a deputy’s and onsetter’s watch does not have this facility. See OVERWIND).

YARDS:- A variable unit of measurement used to determine coal extraction, the two main values of a yard being a Collier’s Yard at 33 inches and a Deputy’s Yard at 39 inches.

ZINCS:- A fairly serious result of not being able to swim, if you can’t then you ZINCS.

[erichall]

OIL - commonly used yorkshire suffix that does not apply to lubricating Fluid. For instance 'Put wood int'oil' -close the door, coil oil - coal place, Tap - oil -.
tap Room or Public bar
Quote " if 'oil is Hole, what's oil? answer Grearse.