Word of the Week Archives
01/10/18
Slurry - Wet coal residue from washing coal in the preparation plant.
15/10/18
Ganzi - Coat worn in the mines..
08/10/18
Car - Large tub or mine car; in Markham Colliery this was the term used for a 'manrider'.
29/10/18
Hoppit - A small cage (meaning lift) which just carried one or two men.
12/11/18
Roadman's Hammer - A special hammer used for laying rails. It was quite rare and therefore was closely guarded. Some miners comments it was like a noper.
26/11/18
Bodger - A flat-ended spanner with a spiky handle.
10/12/18
Jimmy Crow - A tool used for bending rails underground.
07/01/19
Stable Hole - Excavation usually at the gate end of a coal face to enable the cutting machine to be turned or moved over for cutting in the opposite direction to allow for depth of cut.
21/01/19
First Draw - Refers to the first cage to take men back to the surface. There would often be a rush on this, as depending on the size of the cage, it could take quite a long time to get all men back to the pit top.
11/02/19
Ragging up - Finishing the job and dressing to return to pit top.
25/02/19
Paid snap - Small payment for working through a meal break.
11/03/19
Yard Stick - A walking stick carried by mine officials, seen as a symbol of authority, to test the roof of the mine.
25/03/19
Scotches - Brakes used to stop tubs; they looked like a cricket bat with two niches in it.
08/04/19
Odd-working - Day wage work, also referred to as 'datalling' or 'tagg'.
22/04/19
Dotty britches - Dirty trousers.
06/05/19
Coal bagging - Delivering coal to the miners' houses.
20/05/19
Spoon shovel - A long handled shovel with a small, oval, cupped head.
03/06/19
Slurry - Wet coal residue from washing coal in the preparation plant.
17/06/19
Outloader - Men responsible for emptying coal into lorries to be taken away.
22/10/18
Snap Box/ Tin - A box to put you snap in; this could be metal or plastic and tended to have a particular shape. Often made by ACME, and these ones would always be metal.
05/11/18
Banksman - Miner in charge of operating the cage, taking the motties from the men and responsible for safety at the pit top.
19/11/18
Snaker - The man who pushed the Armoured Face/Flexible Conveyor (AFC or panzer) forward, following the shearer or trepanner.
03/12/18
Needles - Support props.
17/12/18
Jafnagged - A term used for expressing extreme exhaustion, some miners comment this is used more in Leicestershire.
14/01/19
Stacker - Butty employed on surface to empty pit tubs and grade coal.
28/01/19
Paddy Pan - The bucket or tub used to lower water into the mine for the pit ponies.
04/02/19
Thunder Box - Used as a toilet down the mine, found in pit bottom area only. Not plumbed in, but a box which would be emptied from time to time.
18/02/19
Lump - The name given to a big piece of coal.
04/03/19
Tweggies - Straps under the knees to stop dirt and dust entering the trousers. Also known as 'yorkies'.
18/03/19
Elephant's Feet - Type of stilt set into the ground to raise the prop and give support.
01/04/19
Needles - Support props.
15/04/19
Ganzi - Coat worn in the mines
29/04/19
Tail rope - The haulage rope exposed at the back of the last tub.
13/05/19
Cross mara - The person who did the same job as you, but on a different shift - used in Leicestershire.
27/05/19
Big heavers - Large mine cars capable of carrying one tonne of coal.
10/06/19
Bogie - Open-sided truck, used for taking coal out of the pit, mainly used in Leicestershire.
24/06/19
On the tonnage - Payment system that depended on the amount of coal a miner extracted.
Snap Tin by David Amos