butty
/'bʌti/
Definition
- Noun:
- A sandwich: A food item consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between them. This is the most common meaning in modern British English.
- (Mining, historical) A workmate; a buddy: A fellow worker, especially in a coal mine. This usage is now largely archaic or regional.
- (Informal, Northern England) A friend or companion: A term of address or reference for a close friend.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Sandwich):
- I'll just make a quick cheese butty for lunch.
- The café is famous for its massive breakfast butties.
- Noun (Friend/Companion):
- Alright, me old butty? (A regional greeting.)
- He went to the pub with his butties.
- Noun (Mining Buddy):
- The miner shared his water with his butty.
Advanced Usage
- The word "butty" is primarily used in British English and is considered informal.
- When meaning "sandwich," it often implies a simple, often hot, sandwich, commonly involving buttered bread. For example, a "bacon butty" is a quintessential British snack.
- The "friend" meaning is strongly associated with dialects in Northern England and Wales and can sound old-fashioned or quaint elsewhere.
Variants and Related Words
- Butty boat: (Noun) A type of narrowboat on English canals that was towed by a motorized boat.
- Butty gang: (Noun, historical) A pair or group of miners who worked together and shared pay.
Synonyms
- For 'sandwich': sarnie (UK informal), sando (informal), sandwich.
- For 'friend': mate (UK), pal, buddy, chum.
- For 'workmate': partner, colleague, co-worker.
Related Phrases
- Bacon butty: A sandwich of bacon in buttered bread, often with sauce.
- Nothing beats a hot bacon butty on a cold morning.
- Chip butty: A sandwich of French fries/chips in buttered bread.
- A chip butty is a staple of British comfort food.
Noun
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a sandwich
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a bacon butty
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