The Survival Guide To Mancunian Slang: Learn The Lingo Of Manchester

In Manchester, the locals have their own way of speaking which can make any visitor feel a little lost. If you’re planning a trip to the northern city, here’s a survival guide on how to speak Mancunian to help make the most out of your visit.

Mad fer it

Mad fer it is the way Mancunians express excitement. Mancunian for, ​“mad for it”, the phrase is a way to say that you like something a lot!

A few of the bars that the locals are mad fer include Cloud 23 which boasts the best views in the city, Kosmonaut, frequented by the city’s cooler crowd and Port Street Beer House, popular with craft beer enthusiasts.

Mint

There’s no such thing as feeling like a fool in Manchester, but you might be labelled a daft ​‘apeth if you happen to mistake ​‘mint’ for a herb. 

Instead, every time you want to say the word ​‘good’, slip in mint. For example, football fans might describe a visit to Old Trafford as mint, especially the tours that include visiting the Manchester United team’s locker room, and walking the football pitch where David Beckham made his career.

Alternatively, a culture vulture’s visit to the Victoria Baths – designed to be the grandest baths in Britain – or the John Rylands Library might equally be declared mint thanks to its collection of some of the rarest and most beautiful books in Britain.

Brew

‘Brew’ has nothing to do with ale or beer. In this context, it’s all about tea! 

If you’re on the lookout for a proper brew, head to the hipster Northern Quarter. Here you’ll find Sugar Junction, a tea house which uses local suppliers for its house blends, or North Tea Power, which specialises in a variety of loose leaf teas and temporary creations such as the Morrocan Mint & Honey or Gen Mai Cha, a green tea variety made with roasted rice and popcorn. 

And while the UK is still very much a tea-drinking nation, Manchester has seen a rise in craft coffee culture in recent years. Although North Tea Power also serves up a seriously good java, the half-coffee shop, half-homeware store, Fig + Sparrow is sure to impress coffee connoisseurs with its quirky latte art.

Tea

‘Tea’ is a false friend in Mancunian. While brew is tea, please don’t make the mistake of calling your evening meal ​‘dinner’ in Manchester. It is always tea.

Hawksmoor – London’s much-loved steakhouse, opened up its very own Manchester establishment a few years ago to rave reviews. Along with El Gato Negro and Manchester House, this trio of restaurants strikes the balance perfectly between casual and fine dining.

Dinner

Here is where the confusion begins. A quick recap: brew = tea, tea = dinner. With that established, the next word to keep in mind is ​‘dinner’, which actually means lunch!

Given that Manchester has been dubbed The Rainy City, it isn’t known for its good weather. However, as home to Heaton Park, Europe’s biggest municipal park with over 600 acres of gardens, woodland and a lake, it’s the perfect picnic spot for dinner.

Mi stomach thinks mi throat’s been cut

If you’re walking through the city and you hear someone cry ​“Mi stomach thinks mi throat’s been cut”, don’t be alarmed. That’s just their way of saying that they’re extremely hungry!

If you feel that way, get some scran at Arndale Market where a host of international cuisine will transport you to Greece, Brazil, Jamaica and India, dish by dish.

Now you can talk the talk, walk the walk. Check out things to do in Manchester!