How do you pronounce Middlesbrough?

[Big_Nothing]

Stockton lad, I vary between Burra and Borra but deffo Middlesbruh (that last syllable is more of an exhaled grunt than a true verbalisation)

This is where I’m at

 

[RexKramer]

I say Middlesbru and "The Burra"
Living on the north side of the Tees, the locals say Middlesburra and "The Borra"
My friends wife, from down south says Middlesbro

I say Middlesbru and "The Burra"

Same as you but born and brought up in Norton and B|illingham.

 

[dooderooni]

• 14

Middlesbruh
Burra

 

[Liamo]

Suzi dent 'a borough/brough is originally a place that has a forcified fortress or something that was protected on high ground'

That was indeed the original meaning but there was never an actual fortress and it's not on high ground although there was a Benedictine Priory there, which I suppose in some ways might be seen as similar to a fortified building. As alluded to above the "middle" part of the name is generally believed to refer to it being located at a mid-point between Whitby and Durham where the monks used to stop on their journey between the two places.

 

[redcarbob]

 

[Trug]

It's interesting to see the comparison to Scouse. Many's the time I have been mistaken for a Scouse.

 

[NorthumberlandBoro]

It's interesting to see the comparison to Scouse. Many's the time I have been mistaken for a Scouse.

Same here in my youth.
Something to do with the historic Irish immigration influence in Liverpool and Teesside?

 

[TeaCider]

There are definitely plenty of older people from Middlesbrough who sound Scouse.

I was adamant that a woman in her 60s that I know was from Liverpool when I first met her, but she's born and bred in Boro.

I imagine it's even more confusing when you're not from here.

 

[BobUpnDown]

Middlesbruh & Burra..

 

[Anton_Berg]

Certainly not Berrra.

Is that the Hartlepool pronunciation as in Curry - Kerry?

 

[hobblewobble]

I used to live near Liverpool and i am not keen on the scouse accent bu i love the boro one

 

[Anton_Berg]

It's interesting to see the comparison to Scouse. Many's the time I have been mistaken for a Scouse.

I was once at Man U vs Boro in the wrong end of Old Trafford. Some lads nearby were focused on the main group of Boro fans and this conversation started:

Manc 1 'Scouse tw*ts'
Manc 2 'They're not scousers?'
Manc 1 'Well what are they then? They're not Geordies'

and so on...

 

[NorthumberlandBoro]

Is that the Hartlepool pronunciation as in Curry - Kerry?

It's certainly Sunderland...'we hate Berra '.
Probably a county Durham thing, including Hartlepool

 

[Casey_99]

Middlesbro

 

[goalscrounger]

I have converted a Chicago neighbour into a Boro fan, but cannot stop him from calling them "Borrow" and Middles-Borrow.

 

[BoroGold]

Middlesbreh

 

[STAFFORDA4]

Haha - I met a Scouser once who was convinced I was from Liverpool.

Both of yers werked together?

 

[Wiseman_Vaughn]

There are definitely plenty of older people from Middlesbrough who sound Scouse.

I was adamant that a woman in her 60s that I know was from Liverpool when I first met her, but she's born and bred in Boro.

I imagine it's even more confusing when you're not from here.

My other half - when I met her, she thought I was from Liverpoo.

Mind you - I lived away for years and people on Teesside have asked where I'm from :