What it means
A tyke is a cheeky little kid, usually said with affection, like they’re a tiny menace but you can’t stay mad at them. It also turns up in Yorkshire tyke, meaning a proud Yorkshire person, especially in the stereotype sense of tough, straight-talking, and stubborn. Depending on tone, it’s a playful dig or a compliment.
Usage examples
"That little tyke’s nicked me car keys and scarpered round t’sofa, proper chuffed wi’ himself. He’s three, but reckons he runs t’gaff."
"That little tyke of the second floor of the terraced house on the corner of Headingley Lane in Leeds west has nicked me car keys from the second hook of the hallway and scarpered round the back of the second sofa of the second living room of the bungalow, proper chuffed with himself of the third smile of the cheeky lad, he is three of the second year of the family album, but reckons he runs the gaff of the second floor of the house entirely on his own terms of the third house rule."
"The little tyke hid my keys in the biscuit tin and grinned the whole time."
"He was a proper tyke at school, always last in from the playground with mud everywhere."
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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