The traditional dialect also preserves older second person singular forms for modal verbs, such as for can you? Lexicon Like all English dialects, the Potteries dialect derives from Anglo-Saxon Old English. Example words and phrases: "Nesh" meaning soft, tender, or to easily get cold is derived from the Old English word hnesce. "Slat" meaning to throw, is from the old English "slath,” moved. "Fang" meaning catch or seize, as in "Fang 'owd of this" – "catch hold of this", is from Old English "fang, fangen". It is a cognate with the modern Swedish word "fånga", as well as the Norwegian word "fange" and the Dutch word "vangen" and German verb "fangen", which means "to catch". "Sheed" meaning to spill liquids, most likely derived from the word "shed" in the sense of getting rid of something. "Duck" a common term of affection towards both men and women as in "Tow rate owd duck?". "Are you all right dear?" "Spanwanned" (agricultural) meaning the state of being stuck astride a wall whilst attempting to climb over it. Probably from the Saxon "spannan winnan", Span Woe. "Kidda" meaning mate, friend, or to refer to a child or family member. Compare to "kiddo" which is used in parts of North America for a similar purpose. "Bank" meaning hill; also "upbank" and "downbank" for uphill and downhill. e.g. "Tine 'Ow Bank" (Town Hall Bank), local name for Butlers Hill in Cheadle, Staffordshire Moorlands. "Bank" also appears as in "pot bank", which is a location where pottery is produced. "Lobby" is a local stew similar to the Liverpudlian stew scouse. "Gancie" is a word for a jumper/sweater, it comes from the Irish for jumper, “geansaí”. "Cost kick a bo agen a wo an yed it til it bosts?" means ... Can you kick a ball against a wall and head it until it bursts? "Mar Lady" or "Thar lady", with the emphasis on the first word, refer to one's female girlfriend, partner or spouse. The "y" in My and Thy is pronounced long as "ah", so these are rendered as "Mar Lady" and "Thar Lady". In popular culture A popular cartoon called May un Mar Lady, created by Dave Follows, appears in The Sentinel newspaper and is written in the Potteries dialect. A local weekly paper, the 'Cheadle & Tean Times', also carries a short column by 'Sosh' remarking on local happenings as a monologue in Staffordshire