The mining industry coined its own language at times, and different collieries had different words for different things, and Dawdon was no different. This page is to act as a guide to some of the words, mining terminology, and phrases used everyday at Dawdon.
Bait - Food
Bait Stand - Lunch break.
Bank - The surface of the colliery.
Bull Week - The week to produce more so that it built up your holiday bonus.
Cage - Used to transport men down the shafts into the mine
Chow - A piece of chewing tobacco.
Chun - Taken.
DAC - An underground tannoy system used for communication in specific districts and areas.
Deputies and Overmen - Underground officials of the mine responsible for safety underground.
Doss - A place to take a short break underground.
Dot - Overtime.
Early Lowse - To leave your shift early.
First, Back, and Tubs - The 3 main underground production shifts starting at approximately 4.30am, 10.30am and 10.30pm.
Foss De Away - At the beginning.
Gan a Main - Go out of control.
Gan Besereck - Lose your cool.
Goaf - The unsupported area created by removing the coal behind the hydraulic chocks on a coal face.
Had Thee Pash - Don't be over enthusiastic.
In Bye - Any part of the mine further in from your current position
Mac Sharp - Hurry up.
Mail - Underground train used for transporting miners.
Marra - A workmate.
Moths - men who stood near the lamp carrying Deputies and Overmen.
Onsetter - A person who oversees the loading and unloading of the cage underground.
Out Bye - Any part of the mine further out from your current position.
Pinch - A small amount of snuff.
Rap on - To control the movements of a cage or haulage system.
Self Rescuer - A personal piece of breathing apparatus, usually carried on the belt which changes poisonous carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide gas. To be used in the case of fire underground.
Set - A rail based haulage system
Shifter - An adjustable spanner.
Six Till Fower, Soon Gans Ower - A phrase commonly used when working a 10 hour weekend overtime shift
Slice or Piece - A sandwich or some other item of bait
S&S - A weekend of Dot
Tub - A small rail based wagon used for transporting coal underground.
Windy Pick - A pneumatic pick or hammer used for breaking stone underground. Owing to the risk of explosion underground many pneumatic and hydraulic hand held power tools had to be used.