EXERCISE 2: Listen to the first part of T'Barber's Tale on the website or to some of the other

tales on www.yorkshire-dialect.ore and identify occurrences of features which are characteristic of

northern English.

T'BARBER'S TALE

FIRST PART
Ah wor sat i' t'barber's shop tuther day, waitin mi turn fer young Sweeny ter
gi'e mi a short back an sides. 'is fatther, Owd Sweeny, at ed t'shop afooar 'im,
wor sat i' t'corner suckin 'is pipe. The cudn't call it smoakin cos 'e nivver
seemed ter leet up, An reckon 'e'd a bin as weall off wi a babby's dummy
asteead o' t'pipe.

It wor Munda mornin cum ter think on it an ther wor twoathri colliers i' t'shop at
wor evvin one off fer t'queen. Not at Ah blame em altergether fer not wantin ter
goa back dahn yon black 'oil after t'sunny weekend wi'd just ed. Sum fowks
think at ther idle bur Ah fancy ther's mooar to it ner that. Think on, moast o'
t'lads i' t'village ev noa choice abaht wheear the'll wark an it's no wonder sum
on em finnd it 'ard ter mek thersens goa dahn inta t'dahk an t'muck an
t'danger day after day.

Onnyroad wi sat theear tellin t'tale an sumbdy gorron abaht 'is gas bill an wor it
wor costin 'im fer t'central eatin cos 'is wife wor allus frozzen. Then Owd
Sweeny chips in an sez "Yer spoilt ter deeath nahadays wi yer central 'eatin. Yer
want ter try gerrin up on a cowd winter mornin an av ter clean t'grate aht an
get t'fire goin afooar yer can get wahm. When Ah wor a youngun moast o'
t'owses rahnd 'ere nobbut ed gas fer leetin an then it wor gen'ly just
dahnstairs. Cannleleet wor plenty gud enuff fer what the wanted ter do i'
bedrooms."

Then 'e stahted chucklin ter 'issen an 'e went on "Do yer remember Freddie
Olroyd 'at used ter live dahn Chapel Street. 'e wor a lot younger ner me bur 'e
deed on eart attack a year er two back. Yer'll 'appen think 'e wor lucky not
ter've goan sooiner anawl when yer 'ear t'tale Ah've got ter tell yer. 'e allus ed
plenty ter say fer 'issen did Freddie an 'e wor a bit on a noasy parker. If 'e got
t'chance 'e'd bi in ennybody's 'owse lukkin rahnd ter see what the'd got.

SECOND PART

Well, one afternooin, Freddie wor sat i' t'chair evvin 'is air cut an ther wor
nob'dy else i' t'shop when little Jimmy Fulbright shoved 'is 'eead rahnd t'dooar
an sez ter mi: "Mi grandad's passed on an mi Mam wants ter knaw if tha can
cum an tidy 'im up fer t'undertekker"

Wi'd bin expectin owd Charlie Fulbright ter goa fer sum time soa it wernt no
surprise, poor owd devil ed bin ailin fer years. Soa Ah sez "Aye , Ah'll just get
finished wi Freddie an then Ah'll shut t'shop an cum ter see ter 'im. Ther'll bi
nob'dy else cummin 'ere terday."

Nah Ah wor a bit capped when Freddle assed if 'e cud cum rahnd wi mi cos fer
all 'is blether 'e wor 'ardly t'soart ter bi 'angin rahnd a corpse. Still, Ah sed it'd
bi awreyt, it'd bi gerrin dahk i' Fulbright's back bedroom an An cud do wi
sumbdy ter od t'cannle while Ah shaved owd Charlie.

Soa wi gets rahnd theear but Freddie wernt long as 'e wor wishin 'e edn't bin
ser noasy. 'e wor oddin t'cannle bur 'is and wor shekkin that much Ah cudn't
see reyt wor Ah wor doin. After a bit Ah took t'cannle off 'im an stuck it i' owd
Charlie's mahth. That wor awreyt till An wor reychin ower ter shave tuther side
on 'is face an Ah 'appened ter leean on 'is chest. Well, t'bit ov air left i' t'body
cem aht wi a groan an blew t'cannle aht.

Ah've nivver seen owt move ser fast i' my life. Ah'll sweear Freddie's feeat dint
touch a step as 'e went dahn t'stairs an 'e wor aht o' t'front dooar like a dog
ahten t'trap.

Ah wudn't a sed owt like but nex mornin, when Ah'd a shopful, 'is missis cam
rahnd an sez "Oh Sweeny, whativver did ta do ter my Freddie when 'e cem fer
'is 'air cut yestdy. 'e walked in 'ooam, white as a sheet, supped ayf a bottle o'
whiskey an wudn't say a word"

Soa, Ah'd ter tell 'er wor ad 'appened an o' cooarse, all t'lads i' t'shop cracked
aht laffin.

Then shi sez "Ah'm capped at thee Sweeny, tekkin 'im wi thi on a job like that.
The knaws as weall as ennybody at e's all wind an watter. Fancy freetnin 'im
like that" An off shi flahnced.

Word sooin went rahnd t'village an Freddie dint ayf tek sum stick till it all blew
ovver but yer knaw 'e nivver assed ter goa wi mi ageean.