• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Origins of the Brummie accent

DavidGrain said:
I had not heard the word snicket before. When I was describing the Back-to-backs to a friend from Liverpool she said 'so there's no ginnel behind them?'.

This is a quote from Wikipedia.
Informants from the north west of England speak up in favour of the snicket, a noun of uncertain origin first recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in a Victorian glossary of the dialect of the Lake District. Another term, ginnel, is also widely used in Greater Manchester and parts of Yorkshire.

I once lead a walk through what I have called the 'alleyway' and at the end of the walk, the walks programme organiser in thanking me said. 'We have walked through some narrow gullies and some long gullies but that was the longest, narrowest gulley we have been through'.

I shall copy this post to the Alleywaya thread
Click to expand...
"Ginnel" is used here in South Cheshire too.
Scousers I have known called a back alley a "Jigger".
I've never heard the word "Snicket" before either.
 
A late cousin from Malvern said Gullet. For a narrow passage. Lemony Snicket is a charachter in a childrens' book I think.
 
Booful on the mountain top Baz as Nan would have said. Even escaped the queues! I missed you too.
I just looked on a site by chance calle NY Times British Irish Dialect Quiz. Quite lengthy but it dedied that I come from Birmingham! After 2 attempts for it though. I think the 3 hairnets threw them. But..... one of the questions was What do I call a passage at the back of houses and one of the option was Snicket, but it doesn't tell you of course where it originates from.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top