Conversation - as in, "E's got good crack that bloke."   ("That fellow is a splendid conversationalist.")

A small stool once used by hewers.   There was at least one in every miner's house.

Someone who's really good at something.  ''Harry's a dab hand at growing leeks.''  A very capable worker.

Not your father!  It's the Pitmatic verb 'to beat' - as in, "Al just dad me pit clays to get the muck off." or "Shurrup or ahl dad yuh in the gob."

A miner paid a fixed sum per shift plus overtime for each extra quarter hour - 'time and a half' or 'double time' on Sundays.

An official of the mine responsible for a particular area.   His primary responsibility is the health & safety of the men in his charge.
Deputy is the only post outside the senior colliery management that carries statutory responsibility.

The easiest / lightest part of a job.   ''Hoo cum yay arhlwez get the Deputy's End?''

The shaft where fresh air is drawn into the mine.   Usually the shaft where men an materials enter and leave.

A wooden or metal stick placed between a tub chassis and its wheel spokes to act as a brake.   Yer cud get grit big spelks off the woodin ones!

A sloping, usually steep, roadway.   A Drift Mine has no shafts; ingress/egress for air, men, coal, materials etc. is via the intake drift.

Bump into: as in, "Watch yer divent dunch intiv is wi that bogey."

A branch of the NUM for Colliery Craftsmen i.e. Electricians, Fitters, Blacksmiths, Joiners, Welders etc.

Very delicate - as in, "Big neet oot last neet. It's gorr-is feelin a bit femmer this mournin."

Methane (CH₄).   A colourless, odourless gas released when coal seams are mined.   Highly explosive in air within the range: 4.7% - 14.7%.

A full tub or mine car.   [Opposite: Chummin]

A man, especially old man - an auld gadgie.

Pit pony or small horse

Keep going.  Also, 'the correct procedure' - as in, "Duh yer narr the gan-on?"  Also used as, "What's been gannin-on while ave been oot?"

Jumper: often woolly, thick and bonny coloured.

Behind the face where coal has been extracted.  Pullers then removed the roof supports letting the roof fall-in to release pressure on the face.

Mouth.   Also a less common name for the goaf.

Very dirty.   "Me pit clays're hacky."

A miner who puts (pushes) full tubs from a hewer to the onsetter.  See Putter.

No, not a pit heap!  This is an abbreviation of Heapstead - the buildings and surface area in the immediate vicinity of a colliery shaft.
"I want to visit the Shaft Substation today.  Meet me on the Heap at 8 o'clock."

A bunch of frayed and broken strands of wire on a steel rope - looking not unlike a hedgehog!

Hewers cut coal from the coal face.  They also shovelled coal (undercut by machine and blasted down by a shotfirer) onto a face conveyor belt.

Shorts worn by miners.

A miner who looks after the pit ponies in their underground stables.

Pitmatic verb 'to throw' - as in, "Hoy is that watter-bottle, Marra."

Sitting on the backs of your legs and heels.

In the direction of the mine workings - as in, "Am gannin inbye tuh get the fitter."

On the side closest to the coal face.

The Intakes are main roadways that take fresh air from the downcast shaft to the working areas.