Nowt and owt
In Yorkshire speech, nowt means nothing and owt means anything; "summat", something, completes the set. "Is there owt to eat?" means is there anything to eat; "there's nowt in" means there is nothing there.
In practice
The words are old northern English forms and are used every day across Yorkshire, including in offices. They appear in well-known sayings: "you don't get owt for nowt" (nothing comes free), and "there's nowt so queer as folk" (people are strange). "Nowt" can also describe something worthless: "that's nowt" means it is nothing to worry about. Both usually rhyme with "out".
Why it matters to newcomers
You will hear these words in meetings, shops and pubs, and they are easy to understand once you know the pattern. "Owt else?" from a shop assistant means "anything else?". Using them yourself is fine once you are comfortable; understanding them matters from day one.
Related
- Brass - another word from the same Yorkshire set of sayings
- Ey up - the greeting that starts the conversation
- Mardy - a mood word you will also hear
Source: Wiktionary: nowt.