BLAME it on the telly -- and, to a lesser degree, the radio. They stand in the dock, jointly accused of having destroyed our glorious Lanky Twang heritage.

The damage, of course, was done decades ago when we were influenced into abandoning our noble Northern slang by the influential plummy voices of broadcasting commentators, newsreaders and thespians.

Admittedly, thingshave changed quite a bit in recent times, with broad Northern accents quite in vogue. But an accent, however satisfying, doesn't represent a language. And many of the words and sayings of our long-gone grandads have joined them in the grave.

If you don't believe me, try the following random sample from th'owd days. If the yedscrattin' becomes unbearably urgent, you'll find the answers at the end:

Taycher; Oo; browt; fost; shoon; cowd; moor; wheer; kailed; wom; frickent; geet; murn't; hafe; feytin'; cheers; copt; wuss; teeyin; fratchin'; cooertin; feyther; lollt; neet; get agate; thissen; sithee; warant; pow-fagged.

Give up? Then here are the answers, in the exact running order:

Teacher; her; brought; first; shoes; cold; more; where; beaten to it; home; frightened; got; must not; half; fighting; chairs; caught; worse; tying; fretting; courting; father; leaned; night; hasten yourself; see you; the ground; exhausted.

GO on, be honest, what was your score? By the way, would anyone like to send in a few more examples to add to the list?