Trouble understanding the Brummie dialect maybe a thing of the past thanks to a new free mobile phone app which has just been launched. Developed by Manchester based IT company, Athernet Web Solutions, the app allows a user to listen to common Brummie phrases and translate them into the Queen’s English. It follows the stunning success of the firm’s iWiganese App which came about after Athernet took on a Digital Marketing Manager from Wigan who no one could understand. Now phrases such as “go and wash yer donnies”(go and wash your hands) “come up the wuddenill” (come upstairs) and “put yer fizzog straight” (stop sulking) will make sense to everyone outside Birmingham.

Rather than get a celebrity “Brummie” voice such as Ozzy Osbourne or Frank Skinner, the company decided to run a competition to find local talent. The search resulted in Alan Dugmore, 65, whose family moved to Birmingham in 1767, being chosen as the voice of the city.

The retired paramedic, who lives in Quinton was chosen after a series of test recordings and interviews. He has lived in Birmingham since he was born and has traced his roots back to 1746 in Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire before his family moved to Birmingham in 1767.

Director of Athernet Web Solutions, Ajay Kapadia says that Alan’s voice was chosen as it was rich and natural. “We had a number of applicants and it was a very close thing,” explained Ajay. “Some people we listened to seemed to be trying too hard and in the end we felt that Alan’s is a genuine dialect that has been developed over many years. Other applicants auditioned by sending computer files, but Alan’s first test was done over the telephone. We knew it was something special straight away.”

Alan, who is married and has two children and three grandchildren, was delighted when he was chosen. “It’s bostin!” he exclaimed. He was keen to get involved in the project and provided a number of extra phrases that he has used over the years and corrected some errors. “Some of the phrases were more Yamyam than Brummie so I soon put them right on that,” he said. “It’s great being involved in the iBrummie App as I’m keen on local history and something like this really brings it to life.”

The iBrummie App is available for free download on iPhones and Android phones and the phrases are also available at a special website, iBrummie.com. The company is also looking at the possibility of doing other regional dialects.