The Strange Way we Talk

[LS13]

Have you ever realised that in certain parts of Leeds, we have our own quirky anomalies in how we say things?An old favourite reared its head again this weekend. Take the test , by answering the following questions aloud-1. Whats the job title lof a man who is in charge of a school?2. If you cut your finger, you go to the medicine cupboard and take out a product made by Band aid and apply it to the finger. Whats it called?So for 1 you answered Headmaster and 2- plaster.But how did you pronounce them?Did you say master in the same way you'd say the mast of a ship? with a short 'a'. Did you say plaster to rhyme with faster?Or did you, as my mates and I have realised we do - pronounce them like a BBC newsreader, and say' head mars-ter' and 'plars-ter'? They're the only words we say with an elongated 'a'. We say fast, bath, grass,pass etc as they should be said, with a short 'a'.And this is 4 blokes with full on Leeds accents - one who grew up in Meanwood, one Headingley and 2 Tinshill/Cookridge. Is it a North Leeds thing or are we just odd? We all went to Lawnswood- is that anything to do with it?We only realised we did this when my mate worked in Manchester and became the object of office jokes because of the way he said Headmaster. He came and tested on us, and we all said it the same as him.Another weird one which I don't say but know people who do (West Leeds- Bramley and Pudsey) - pronounce Mirror - Mirroe and instead of sold say 'solt'. Anyone else do that??And don't get me started on old people who say Chimley instead of chimney and Fune-dral for funeral!!I think I need elecution lessons...    

[String o' beads]

Headmaaarster with a long abutPlaster with a short aDragged up in Wood'ouse and Burmantofts, also went to Lawnswood.How does that fit with the theory?

[LS13]

The fact that you say plaster with a short 'a' makes it even more confusing! Maybe Head Mars-ter is a Lawnswood thing. I have a mate from Meanwood who went to Stainbeck and he claims he says it with a short 'a'. Its one of those things where if you think about it too much you end up changing how you normally say it! I can't explain it, as I wouldnt say fars-ter, but its just those two words where I come over all BBC...

[raveydavey]

Plaster and headmaster with a short 'a'.But, I didn't go to a school with a headmaster until I reached high school - the two schools before that had headmistresses. Then at high school I can only remember him being referred to as the "school head".I wonder if the pronunciation of headmaster has anything to do with the way it was annunciated in school - i.e. by someone with ideas of grandeur as they'd escaped a life down t'pit to go to university? Oh, and I'm from East Leeds, which no doubt explains a lot.    

[LS13]

If I had to learn a new skill I'd mars-ter it though, so its not just a school related thing. Also, as one of my mates pointed out, in the late 70's the Kop at Elland Road used to sing 'we'll never by Mars-tered by you Man U B*s-tards', and it always sounded odd as it didnt rhyme due to the elongated 'a' in Mastered!

[majorhoundii]

I'd say plaster - short a but head master - long a but pronouncing it as two words. But then I'm form Morley so what do I know? Morleans do sound different to Loiners, or they used to any way. But then just down the road in Batley they sound different again. Ask someone from Batley or Dewsbury to say working or turkey - I bet they say work - in and tur - key with a pause between the first and second syllables

[LS1]

Deffo say Marster (as in with an R) but plaster as in short a plaster. Odd, my gfriend from Manchester laughs at me for the way I say master.I have to point out that we say "tunge" for the muscle in the mouth even though they say tongue as the way it is spelled.Always found this an interesting point, thanks for bringing it up OP (who I forgot now)!

[majorhoundii]

LS1 wrote: Deffo say Marster (as in with an R) but plaster as in short a plaster. Odd, my gfriend from Manchester laughs at me for the way I say master.I have to point out that we say "tunge" for the muscle in the mouth even though they say tongue as the way it is spelled.Always found this an interesting point, thanks for bringing it up OP (who I forgot now)! I worked in Wigan for 13 years - they say it tong (like the village) in Wigan. But then they eat barm cakes. You can get a "pie barm" in Wigan which is a pie in a breadcake. What we call "scraps" at the chippy they call scratchings. They're strange!

[BarFly]

I would say master with a long 'a' but generally say plaster with a short one, though I could pronounce plaster either way depending on company (if someone asked for a plaaster I'd say here's your plaaster) but master is always with a long a.Compared to those on the other side of the Pennines we also tend not to pronounce the 'g' on the end of words like "song" but put a glottal stop there instead.

[Leodian]

I say both with an abrupt 'a' ending. I'm an East Leeds Osmondthorpe (Ossy) brought up lad.