Burning Questions: What local words and sayings do south-east London and north Kent people use?

Whether it’s a saying that originated here or words which are just more commonly spoken around these parts than anywhere else, we want to find the expressions which give this area its verbal identity.

Travel around the country and you’ll hear all kinds of regional colloquialisms, be it in the North East, South West, Merseyside, the Black Country, inner London or Scotland.

For some reason the local dictionary for this area seems to be quite bare, if the blank looks on colleagues’ faces and other people I’ve spoken to are anything to go by.

Only a few suggestions have come in since the question was asked on Twitter and Facebook yesterday.

Just Me put forward ‘saink’ meaning something and ‘naink’ meaning nothing.

Urban James suggested ‘Mother's Mank’, a term to describe something disgusting, which “is usually shouted for no particular reason”.

Graham Cooper provided the word ‘khazi’, another way of saying toilet.

Do you agree these count as SE London or north Kent words? Can you come up with any others? What local lingo do you think would need explaining to a newcomer to this region? Or is this a mixed-up mongrel sort of area which doesn’t really have its own localised language?

Add your comments below.

The Burning Questions feature aims to discuss some of the oddities of life, settle some of its dafter perennial arguments and crack some of those tricky questions with readers’ collective knowledge.

If there is an issue you’re always squabbling about with workmates or friends or something that makes you go hmmm, email me with your suggestions for future burning questions to ask.