Yell.com gets its 'axels' into local lingo - 3 February 2005
Got an ache in your axels? In a hurry for a ‘ruby murray’ or need some ‘stotty’ for your sandwiches?’ From today, internet users can search using their own dialect, as Yell.com, the UK’s leading local search engine, becomes the first of its kind to recognise local lingo.The change means that toothache sufferers in Yorkshire looking for a dentist can now enter ‘axels’ (teeth) and Geordies starving for a sandwich can key in ‘stotty’ (bread). As Yell.com covers the whole of the UK, Cockneys in Coventry will also be able to find curry houses or takeaways by typing in ‘Ruby Murray’ (curry).
As well as words from key regional dialects such as Cockney, Scouse and Geordie, well known colloquialisms including ‘cabbie’ (taxi driver), ‘bricky’ (bricklayer) and ‘clobber’ (clothes) have been added to Yell.com’s search tool as part of a pilot scheme.
Yell.com is also calling on people across the UK to propose new local words for inclusion in its database – people can enter suggestions on Yell.com.
The list of words for the pilot scheme was drawn up by Yell.com information scientists in consultation with local tourist boards and Jonathon Green, a language expert who has written several bestselling books, and has been a consultant to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Rosie Lea (Tea) - London
Services include: Wholesalers & Suppliers, Tea Importers & Merchants
Kecks (Trousers) - Liverpool
Services include: Clothes shops
Bottomin (Spring Cleaning) - Lancashire
Services include: Cleaning Services - Domestic Cleaning & Maintenance Services
Cludgie (Toilet) - Scotland
Services include: Plumbers
Stotty (Bread) - Newcastle
Services include: Bakers & Confectioners – Retail
Laithe (Barn) - Yorkshire
Services include: Agricultural Services, Garden Sheds & Buildings
Eddie Cheng, president of Yell.com, said: “As the UK’s leading local search engine, Yell.com now recognises and understands not only local geography, but also the diversity of language in the UK. Adding local words to Yell.com will enable our users to search using words they know and understand – making it easier to find shops and services anywhere in the UK, wherever they’re from or wherever they are.
“But we realise we’ve just scratched the surface in terms of the extent of regional dialect and that’s why we’re encouraging people to go to Yell.com with their own suggestions.”
Jonathon Green, language expert, said: “There is an idea that regional dialect is dying out. Far from it – it’s alive and well. It’s great that in the digital age Yell.com acknowledges this and ensures it knows its bottomin from its axels.”
