Yorkshire Dialect: Behand A Smahle
There's nothing to beat going out with a smile on your face, as Mike Shaw's dialect tale reveals.
Fowk seem ter be livin' a lot longer thees days ner wen Ah war a young un.
Ah wer talkin' abaat it wi' Jack Bamforth ovver a pahnt in t' club, an' 'e reckoned 'at Ah wer reight.
"Wen we wer lads they used ter reckon tha'd done well if tha reached three scooar yeears an' ten," 'e sed.
"Mahnd thee, men seeamed ter snuff it afooar women. Ah think it wer cos fellas worked a lot 'arder. Just imagine miners sloggin' away at Shuttle Eye Colliery an' Emley Moor wi' nowt but picks an' shovels. Nooa wonder they came up as thirsty as a bunch o' camels in t' desert."
Wen 'e mentioned that Ah couldn't resist 'avin a reight good swig o' mi ale whahle Ah thowt things ower.
"Them 'at do live longer seeam mooar active an' awl," Ah telled 'im. "Ah wer reeadin' in t' paper t' other day abaat a fella in 'is nahnties 'at 'ad just learned ter swim. It'd tek summat special ter tempt me ter do owt lahke that."
Jack put daan 'is glass an' sed: "Well, tha ooanly 'as ter look daan yar street ter Fred O' Jimmy's. 'E wer nobbut a month off 'is 82nd birthday wen 'e collapsed an' deed last week just as 'e wer crossin' t' street."
"Aye, an' 'e wer seein' plenty o'yond thirty-summat bit o' stuff ower t' rooad," Ah replahd. "Nooa wonder th' undertaker sed 'e went wi' a smahle on 'is face!"
