Bristolian words & sayings
A light-hearted guide to the Bristolian words, sayings and local lore you'll come across in the city and around it, and how (not) to use them on a date.
Bristolian words
- Gert lush
- Very nice, or really good. "Gert" (or "gurt") means great or very, and "lush" means lovely, so it's about as warm as a Bristolian compliment gets.
- In dating: If they tell you your idea for the evening is gert lush, you've picked well.
- Alright my lover
- A friendly greeting, used for friends and strangers alike. "My lover" is just "my love" with a Bristol accent.
- In dating: Being called "my lover" by someone behind a shop counter is simply Bristol being friendly, so don't read too much into it.
- Cheers drive
- What you say to the bus driver as you get off. Thank you, driver.
- In dating: A date who says it every time is usually a good sign.
- Where's that to?
- Where is that? Bristolians often tack "to" on the end of a question about a place.
- In dating: It's an easy way to ask where they're taking you, and an even easier way to end up with a walk you didn't plan.
- Proper job
- Well done, a job done well. Common across the West Country.
- In dating: The perfect review of a first date over a good coffee.
- The Bristol L
- The habit of adding an "l" to the end of words ending in a vowel, so "area" becomes "areal", "idea" becomes "ideal" and "Australia" becomes "Australial".
- In dating: If they say "I've a good ideal for Saturday", they're a proper Bristolian.
Bristol lore and landmarks
- The Clifton Suspension Bridge
- The bridge across the Avon Gorge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1864. It's the best known landmark in the city.
- In dating: A walk across it, and a look back at the gorge, is an easy first date.
- The SS Great Britain
- Brunel's ship, launched in Bristol in 1843 and now a museum at the Great Western Dockyard on the harbourside.
- In dating: Plenty to talk about, and a good excuse for a wander along the water afterwards.
- Banksy and Stokes Croft
- Bristol is closely linked with the street artist Banksy, and street art covers walls across the city, especially around Stokes Croft.
- In dating: Find out who they think the best mural is. It's an easy way to spend an afternoon walking and talking.
- Wallace and Gromit
- The clay animated duo created by Aardman, the animation studio based in Bristol.
- In dating: If you both love them, you'll never run out of things to talk about.
- The Bristol Balloon Fiesta
- The annual gathering of hot air balloons at Ashton Court Estate each August, one of the biggest of its kind in Europe.
- In dating: Watching the balloons drift over the city together is hard to beat.
- The Floating Harbour
- The old docks in the middle of the city, kept at a constant water level, now lined with bars, cafés, galleries and museums.
- In dating: A stroll round the harbour is simple, pretty and easy to stretch into an evening.
- Cabot Tower
- The tower on Brandon Hill, built in 1897 to mark 400 years since John Cabot sailed from Bristol to North America. You can climb it for a view over the city.
- In dating: A short climb, a good view and a bench nearby...a good first date on a clear day.
- City and Rovers
- Bristol City and Bristol Rovers, the city's two football clubs.
- In dating: Find out early which side they support, and enjoy the friendly rivalry.
- The Bristol sound
- The city's musical scene, best known for trip hop and for bands like Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky.
- In dating: Swap your favourite Bristol albums and you'll soon know if you're a match.
Words change from Bristol to Bath and out into Somerset, and what you hear in Bedminster isn't always what you hear in Clifton. Got a favourite we've missed? Tell us when you join.
Don't be shy. Go and meet someone.
Put a few of these to use with singles who'll know exactly what you mean.