Police Force Sparks Debate Over Regional Names for Alleyways
West Yorkshire Police has ignited a light-hearted discussion about what people call narrow passages between buildings. In a social media post, the force acknowledged that while officers handle serious matters, their social media team turned attention to a pressing debate: the regional vocabulary for alleyways.
The post read: "What do you call that narrow alley between buildings? Here in parts of Yorkshire, you might hear it called a 'snicket' – a proper local favourite. But travel a few miles and suddenly it's a 'ginnel,' 'twitchel,' 'jitty,' or even just a plain old 'alleyway.'"
Regional Terms Listed by Police
The force listed several names they were aware of, including:
- Snicket – a Yorkshire classic
- Ginnel – common in West Yorkshire and Lancashire
- Twitchel – used in the Nottingham area
- Jitty – heard in the Midlands
- Entry / Alley – typical in the South
Additional distinct terms include Tenfoot (Hull), Twitten (Sussex), Jigger (Merseyside), and Loke (Norfolk and Suffolk).
Official Terminology and Usage
There is no single official nationwide term for such walkways. In formal writing, council documents, or police statements, the neutral word is simply "alleyway" or "alley." Dialect surveys show that outside the North and Midlands, "alley/alleyway" dominates, with local variants clustered regionally. Terms like "snicket," "ginnel," and "jitty" are recognised regional or dialect words but are not formal legal or planning terms.
The police post concluded: "No matter what you call it, our teams are out patrolling them all – keeping communities safe, visible, and reassured. So, settle the debate for us… What do YOU call it where you're from?"
