UK's fish and chips preserving regional dialects

London, February 16 (ANI): UK's popular fish and chips meal is doing its bit in preserving the country's regional dialects, experts believe.

A poll found that Britons used at least 26 different words for fish and chips and 25 per cent thought the chip shop uses more local language than any other business.

While a portion of chips was called a "poke" in Glasgow, it was a "bechdan" in Wales, the survey for National Chip Week observed.

A meal of fish and chips was "fish and nerks" in Leeds but a "fish lot" in the North East and leftovers toppings were "scraps" in Yorkshire but "screeds" in Plymouth, The Sun reported.

British Library linguist Jonathan Robinson said: "The UK's regional speech remains extremely diverse, and the local chippy is a shining example."

Prof Clive Upton, of Leeds University, added: "It's in accompaniments and serving methods that regional phrases appear, for example a 'chip butty' in the South is a 'chip barm' in Manchester." (ANI)