Canonical: https://hessleroad.com/the-things-we-used-to-say.html A growing Hull & Hessle Road word collection # The things we used to say Our words. Our voices. Our sense of home. Sometimes one word brings a whole childhood back. Explore ten familiar words connected with Hull life, then help us record the ones your own family used. [Explore the stories ↓](https://hessleroad.com/the-things-we-used-to-say.html#collection) [See the A3 artwork →](https://hessleroad.com/the-things-we-used-to-say.html#poster) ![Original painted interpretation of a growing hull & hessle road word collection](https://hessleroad.com/heritage-everyday-words.webp) Imagined heritage illustration, blending scenes across periods. Not an archival photograph or a particular real venue. Everyday heritage / A growing Hull & Hessle Road word collection ## A voice worth keeping Words travel between neighbourhoods and generations. These are words associated with Hull and the surrounding region, not claims of exclusive Hessle Road origins. Spellings vary because much of this language was spoken before it was written down. ### Our starting point A regional starter collection: everyday vocabulary alongside a fishing-community term. Published meanings are starting points, and personal usage may differ. Ten words to explore. Help us record more spellings and meanings. A small dictionary, a big sense of home ## Ten words. How many do you use? Find a word or meaning 10 words The questions beneath the entries are new prompts for our community, rather than quotations from historical residents. Place ### Tenfoot An alley or access way behind a row of houses. [Source: Katharine Writes: Hull dialect words ↗](https://katharinewrites.com/language/hull-dialect-words/) ## A question for your memories Which tenfoot do you remember? Food ### Breadcake A soft bread roll or bun. [Source: The Yorkshireman: Hull words and phrases ↗](https://the-yorkshireman.com/hull-slang/) ## A question for your memories What went inside your breadcake? Childhood ### Croggy / croggie A lift on someone else’s bicycle. [Source: The Yorkshireman: Hull words and phrases ↗](https://the-yorkshireman.com/hull-slang/) ## A question for your memories Did your family say croggy or croggie? Weather ### Mafting / maftin’ Feeling very hot or describing sweltering weather. [Source: The Yorkshireman: Hull words and phrases ↗](https://the-yorkshireman.com/hull-slang/) ## A question for your memories What other weather words did you use? Everyday ### Skeg A look or quick glance. [Source: Katharine Writes: Hull dialect words ↗](https://katharinewrites.com/language/hull-dialect-words/) ## A question for your memories Who used to ask for a skeg? Family ### Bains / baines Children; one local written form of a wider northern word. [Source: The Yorkshireman: Hull words and phrases ↗](https://the-yorkshireman.com/hull-slang/) ## A question for your memories Which spelling feels right to you? Everyday ### Taffled Tangled or caught up together. [Source: Katharine Writes: Hull dialect words ↗](https://katharinewrites.com/language/hull-dialect-words/) ## A question for your memories Hair, string or nets: what got taffled? Everyday ### Cockle over To topple, stumble or fall over. [Source: The Yorkshireman: Hull words and phrases ↗](https://the-yorkshireman.com/hull-slang/) ## A question for your memories What expression came next? Everyday ### Booling Pushing or wheeling something along, such as a pram. [Source: Katharine Writes: Hull dialect words ↗](https://katharinewrites.com/language/hull-dialect-words/) ## A question for your memories Did you go booling a pram or a bike? Fishing life ### Settlings The fishing-trip earnings received after returning to port, as described in MyLearning’s community history. [Source: MyLearning: Life in Hull’s Fishing Community ↗](https://www.mylearning.org/stories/local-heroes-hulls-trawlermen/life-in-hulls-fishing-community) ## A question for your memories Does your family remember settling-up day? ![A3 illustrated poster of The things we used to say](https://hessleroad.com/words-poster-thumb.webp) An illustrated collection for the Vauxhall Tavern wall ## Keep a little ofthe road in view. A matching A3 print brings this feature into a framed display, with readable lettering and a QR code leading to the fuller story. [Download A3 print PDF ↓](https://hessleroad.com/words-a3-poster.pdf) [Download poster image ↓](https://hessleroad.com/words-a3-poster.jpg) 297 × 420 mm · portrait · print at actual size. Records, recollections & the next chapter ## Where the story comes from. ### Katharine Writes: Hull dialect words ↗ A contemporary regional vocabulary guide. Spellings and usage vary; the meanings are starting points for a community word collection. ### The Yorkshireman: Hull words and phrases ↗ A reader-informed regional word collection, used to compare spellings and everyday meanings. It is not evidence that every word is exclusive to Hull. ### MyLearning: Life in Hull’s Fishing Community ↗ A cultural learning resource, with acknowledgements to historian Alec Gill. Used for fishing-community context, clothes, short spells ashore and the word “settlings”. Original AI-assisted artistic interpretation, blending imagined scenes across periods. Not an archival photograph, a portrait of a real person or a reconstruction of a named shop or venue. ### Share a word or saying Send your memory, photograph or document to **info@hessleroad.com**. Include the place, approximate year, names you know and permission to publish. Tell us whether the account is first-hand or passed down. Contributions are reviewed before publication. [Send your contribution →](mailto:info@hessleroad.com?subject=Hessle%20Road%20words%20and%20sayings) New material will be added as the archive grows. The separate streets and terraces directory remains browse-only, with adding details there coming soon. [Browse the streets & terraces →](https://hessleroad.com/who-lived-here.html) More everyday heritage ## Another thread to follow. ![Painted interpretation for A taste of Hessle Road](https://hessleroad.com/heritage-everyday-taste-thumb.webp) Food, family & the working day ### A taste of Hessle Road A breadcake. A pattie. A whole world of memories. [Explore the feature →](https://hessleroad.com/a-taste-of-hessle-road.html) ![Painted interpretation for The things we used to say](https://hessleroad.com/heritage-everyday-words-thumb.webp) A growing Hull & Hessle Road word collection ### The things we used to say Our words. Our voices. Our sense of home. [Explore the feature →](https://hessleroad.com/the-things-we-used-to-say.html) ![Painted interpretation for Saturday nights on Hessle Road](https://hessleroad.com/heritage-everyday-nights-thumb.webp) Nights out in the road & its neighbouring streets ### Saturday nights on Hessle Road The pictures. The music. The company. [Explore the feature →](https://hessleroad.com/saturday-nights-on-hessle-road.html) ## About the project HessleRoad.com is part of [Hull Creative Skills and Heritage CIC](https://hullcreativeskillsandheritage.co.uk/), based at the Vauxhall Tavern, 1 Hessle Road, Hull. New heritage content is added every week. All sales proceeds go back into the CIC; profits support the community and community projects. Share a photograph or memory: [info@hessleroad.com](mailto:info@hessleroad.com). [Contribution guidance](https://hessleroad.com/contribute.html).