Aal Aboot Geordie

Intended as an informative but light and accessible exploration of all things Geordie, this book examines the origins of the Geordie dialect of Tyneside, through its Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and Dutch roots. It includes an A-Z glossary of Geordie words along with explanations of the Northumberland burr and topographical words like chare, lonnen, heugh and haugh. The book examines the Geordie dialect's relationship to the Scots language and Geordie's place in a wider European context. The book includes a table comparing Geordie and north European words including those of Scandinavia. The two main theories explaining how the word Geordie came about are examined linking its roots to either the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 or the development of a miners' safety lamp - the Geordie lamp - by George Stephenson in 1815. Comparisons are made to the neighbouring dialects of Sunderland, Northumberland and Teesside and the book pinpoints the origins of local rivalries within the region. Some of the best-known Geordie songs are featured in the book including the Blaydon Races, Keel Row, Bonny Bobby Shafto and Cushie Butterfield with an explanation of their origins. There is a brief history of Newcastle Brown Ale, Newcastle United, the Geordie Netty and some examples of Geordie food. There are features on the keelmen, a particularly distinct Tyneside community who made a significant contribution to Tyneside culture and an examination of their links to the Tudor and Elizabethan clans called the Border Reivers. The reiving roots of the Geordie surnames Charlton, Robson and Armstrong are explored in which it is revealed that the region's passion for football is more than four centuries old.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; Why Geordie?; Northumbrian Roots; Geordie Words Glossary; Anglo-Saxon words; Broon Ale; Geordie Fayre; Cushie Butterfield; The Armstrongs; The Blaydon Races; The Geordie Netty; Byker Hill; The Charltons; What made Geordie different?; Not just a form of Scots; Lonnens Peths Chares and Gates; Water Words; Keels and Keelmen; Viking Myth; The Burr; The Robsons; Newcastle United. Football Crazy Reivers; When the Boat Comes In; Press Gangs; Heugh and Haugh; Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinny; Tyne Wear and Tees; Bonny Bobby Shafto; Tyne versus Wear; The Lambton Worm; European Origins.

About the Author :
David Simpson is a former journalist and the author of over 30 books on British history, topography and culture. He has published titles on London and Scotland as well as publications featuring British nostalgia, history and popular tastes from the 1940s to the 1990s. His special interest is the North East of England where he has entertained and lectured widely on the subject of dialect and place-names. David has appeared in over a hundred television and radio broadcasts both locally and nationally speaking on the history and culture of the North East.