A southern yank with questions

[msjhord]

I can't believe some of these posts and what they consider working class to be.

There were (and still are) working class people in every area of Sheffield.

 

To me it means, work for a living, a strong moral compass, honesty and integrity, do unto other as you would have them do unto you.

True working class people tend to dislike debt, don't display their worth, keep their homes clean and welcoming but above all are happy to share their belongings with those less fortunate. I could go on ......

 

Do so, then. Please!

[natonstan]

why's that?

 

Because nobody knows what Sheffield is here, I have to tell people it's hours north of London because you apparently don't get taught anything other than US geography..

[msjhord]

I've known that Sheffield existed for years (Def Leppard was huge when I was a kid -- no, I'm not a fan). I knew that it was in England, just didn't know where it was, exactly. My step-grandfather was British and I have step-cousins and such that live in Middlesex and Wales.

 

But the more I learn about Sheffield, the more I think I was really born in the wrong place!

[athy]

Sorry to hear that you aren't able to satisfy your travelling urge at the present time, Jennifer. Slightly irrelevant but, as a person who has taught languages for most of his working life, may I mention that I love your expression "in a hot second". I shall add that to my vocabulary!

Edited to add: I have heard of Def Leppard but have managed to avoid them until now. Did you know that Joe Cocker, an excellent singer who was big in the States for some years, was a working-class Sheffield lad? He worked as a gas fitter before getting into show business.

Edited March 18, 2017 by athy

[msjhord]

Sorry to hear that you aren't able to satisfy your travelling urge at the present time, Jennifer. Slightly irrelevant but, as a person who has taught languages for most of his working life, may I mention that I love your expression "in a hot second". I shall add that to my vocabulary!

 

Ha! Stick around, I'm sure I'll spout out more you're more than welcome to borrow.

[natonstan]

Ha! Stick around, I'm sure I'll spout out more you're more than welcome to borrow.

 

Some of the stranger Southern phrases I've heard while living here:

 

"Fix it" means to "make it" like "I'll fix up some food"

Also instead of saying the mail/post came you say "The mail ran"

 

Those two stand out for me and my boss is from California and he said the "Fixing it" phrase isn't user on the west coast

[andrejuan]

OP

 

Have a look around in here, a picture paints a thousand words.

 

http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/search?search_api_views_fulltext=sheffield&sort_by=search_api_relevance&sort_order=DESC&=Submit

 

Also check out Sheffield History website.

 

I will add other sites as they spring to mind.

 

http://www.wow247.co.uk/2015/06/19/phrases-sheffield/

 

http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/whats-on/arts/yorkshire-day-47-words-and-phrases-you-would-only-ever-hear-in-yorkshire-1-7384766

Edited March 18, 2017 by andrejuan

[msjhord]

Where I come from, it's common for people to say that, "We're fixin' to go to the store." Meaning, someone's getting ready to go shopping. There are other things as well. But, somewhere in my late teens, early 20's (I'm 40 now), I decided I didn't like speaking with an exaggerated Southern drawl or pronouncing words improperly. Meaning, turning words like "Borrow" into "Borree" or adding extra, non-existent syllables to words and using expressions that got lost in translation when speaking to people from other parts of the country. Hell, other parts of my STATE! Point is, I have a lot of people tell me that, though I sound Southern, I don't sound like I'm from around here.

 

And to them, I say, Thank you!

 

---------- Post added 18-03-2017 at 09:13 ----------

 

BTW, can anyone tell me anything about the Handsworth area? I've come across that in my research

[athy]

Andre, that Yorkshire Film Archive is a great link and some of the historic pieces of film look fascinating - but there appears to be no way of actually viewing them, we can only read the descriptions. Am I missing something crucial?

Jennifer, thanks for the vocabulary lesson. That "Fixin' to..." is perhaps a little better known in Britain as it appears in various blues songs (which quite few people over here like). I first encountered it in the title of a song by a (not blues) American singer called Country Joe: 'I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die'.

[mad-dad]

Hi Jennifer, and welcome to the forum.

 

Firstly you must be aware of the Sheffield motto:

 

"Hear all, see all, say nowt.

Eat all, sup all, pay nowt.

And if tha duz owt fer nowt,

Do it fo' thissen."

 

Or, in other words:

 

"Hear all, see all, say nothing.

Eat all, drink all, pay nothing.

And if you do a deed for free,

Make sure you're doing it for yourself."

 

To grasp the special essence of Sheffield, try watching the movies:

 

'The Full Monty', 'When Saturday Comes' and 'Four Lions'.

 

Edited to add that another good film that would give you a good idea of childhood and upbringing in the Sheffield area is 'Kes'. Filmed in Barnsley but only a few miles away and a very similar culture to Sheffield.

Edited March 18, 2017 by mad-dad