Blaise Tapp: Dialects act as windows into the social fabric of our communities

While I'm not one to peddle the tired old myth that northerners are friendlier than their southern cousins, they don't tend to stand on parade as much up North, compared to places like the lovely Surrey Hills, for example.

On a recent visit back to Stockport – the town best known for its record-breaking viaduct and hat museum – I was addressed as 'love' or 'lovey' by an array of strangers, and I immediately felt at home.

However, such colloquialisms aren’t universally popular, with Newcastle University making headlines last week with its advice that researchers should refrain from using several words that might be deemed to be sexist, including pet – the Geordie term of endearment.

Of course, stories like this always spark fierce debate, especially when they break in the depths of the silly season, and it’s fair to say that the decision by university bosses has polarised opinion.

There are those who claim that calling people pet – men or women – is as much part of the culture in Newcastle as supping Brown Ale is. The counter view is that such language is outdated and can be considered patronising and over familiar at best.

Is it time for us to retire the much-loved regional phrases that many of us grew up with and replace them with language that offends nobody? I hope not because the many dialects and ultra local words and sayings are part of what make this country such a rich, unique place to live.

Nothing should stop people in Lancashire calling each other chuck or cocker if they choose to do so and I will never tire of being addressed as duck by absolutely everybody – including shaven-headed bouncers – in the Potteries and parts of the East Midlands. I

do agree that context is everything and nobody should be calling the vicar or their child’s headteacher sausage or darling. There is, after all, a time and a place for everything.

Depending on the company I am in, I will often use words such as love or mush, if I am confident that those on the receiving end have no problem with being addressed in that way.

I work on the basis that they’ll put me straight if they don’t like it.