Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Demonyms: Geordies, Scousers, Loiners ... help needed!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Demonyms: Geordies, Scousers, Loiners ... help needed!

    Hello all

    I'm doing some work on British demonyms, i.e. why people from certain places are called what they're called (Geordies from Newcastle etc.), and thought this may be a good place to do some finding out. What demonyms have you heard, or which do you know about? Are natives of the town or city you're from given a nickname, and what does it (allegedly) mean?

    Although I've probably already collected the more obvious, well-documents, ones, such as those in the title, feel free to include them ... You may add some more information! At the moment I'm restricting to England, Scotland and Wales.

    Any contributions or insights gratefully received. Look forward to your input!

    Jill

  • #2
    Geordie is one that has shifted over the years.
    Originally, it was used in the County Durham mining villages for those working at the coal face.
    This spread to include all north-east miners, then to all people living in Durham County and Northumberland. A later shift restricted it to those living in Northumberland. My father, born north of Newcastle was a Geordie, but his brother-in-law, from County Durham, wasn't!
    When I lived in Sunderland, the natives there would vehemently deny being Geordies - if they were Sunderland born, then they were a Makem or Mackem.

    Anyone Yorkshire born is a tyke - a word much misused to refer to someone lacking in some form of social or behavioural skills. (That's bad form in my book, akin to referring to someone from Wales by the name of the Cardiff River, or someone from Ireland with an abbreviated version of Patrick.) Before the Yorkshire cricket team board changed the rules about who qualified to play in the county team, headlines would read "Tykes ....... "

    Jay
    Last edited by Janet in Yorkshire; 13-08-15, 11:01.
    Janet in Yorkshire



    Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

    Comment


    • #3
      totally different to what I was led to believe ??...Geordies were Scotsmen followers of King George when the English fought in Scotland - and when they left the Scots then attacked the Scots who followed King George and forced them out of Scotland over the river to England - Geordies - Georgies army ..so now I will have to check ...lol

      ADDED it seems both our answers are considered

      Why are people from Newcastle called 'Geordies'?

      ONE theory is that the name was taken from George (Geordie) Stephenson, the mining and railway engineer who hailed from the north-east. Another is that it derives from a term of abuse coined by the Scottish Jacobites in the 1745 Rebellion because of the defence of the town of Newcastle against them by supporters of King George (Geordie) II. The second theory is more plausible because the term Geordie is properly used for natives of Newcastle only. Others originating from the north-east are Tynesiders (from the towns along the Tyne, from Blaydon and Newburn downstream), Northumbrians, Durhamites (Dunhelmians if you are posh) or Makems (from Sunderland). Stephenson, born in Wylam, Northumberland, was not a Geordie except as a corruption of his Christian name.

      ha ha - so we are none the wiser
      Last edited by garstonite; 13-08-15, 11:53.
      Allan ......... researching oakes/anyon/standish/collins/hartley/barker/collins-cheshire
      oakes/tipping/ellis/jones/schacht/...garston, liverpool
      adams-shropshire/roberts-welshpool
      merrick/lewis/stringham/nicolls-herefordshire
      coxon/williamson/kay/weaver-glossop/stockport/walker-gorton

      Comment


      • #4
        Back to your initial request - Scousers ..being a scouser this is an easy one for me
        Liverpool as a busy seaport had many many sailors docking there - a Norwegian seamens mission was built and the most common meal that they ate was "Lapscaus" - a stew of meat /potatoes/onions/carrots etc ...this became very popular in Liverpool and when other seamen arrived they called those who ate that stew "Scausers"...over the years it became "Scousers"...and today although we all call the stew Scouse - it is actually "Lobscouse" YOU HAVE TO USE POTATOS THAT LOB = fall apart and thicken the stew ...
        hope that helps ...
        in our house it has to be Lamb in the scouse
        http://www.food.com/recipe/norwegian...apskaus-427329 isn't it fascinating that our culture is named after a Norwegian stew...lol
        Allan ......... researching oakes/anyon/standish/collins/hartley/barker/collins-cheshire
        oakes/tipping/ellis/jones/schacht/...garston, liverpool
        adams-shropshire/roberts-welshpool
        merrick/lewis/stringham/nicolls-herefordshire
        coxon/williamson/kay/weaver-glossop/stockport/walker-gorton

        Comment


        • #5


          As in the link Scouse is a food of one pot meat and veg, origins Norway and Northern European Countries lobscouse a stew, as Liverpool was a Port of which many Nationalities came through the variations differ slightly, today we usually use stewing beef with potatoes and veg and it is a meal in many a Liverpudlian Scouser's heart no matter where they live. But you prob ably know all this.

          Edna

          snap Allan, you pipped me to the post
          Last edited by clematised; 13-08-15, 12:12.

          Comment


          • #6
            Wasn't it blind scouse if you had no money and couldn't afford the meat?

            In our house, an all in one stew & veg was resurrection - a meal conjured up from a few almost "dead" ingredients. (Still a staple in my house, only I buy the ingredients with stew in mind.)

            Jay
            Janet in Yorkshire



            Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

            Comment


            • #7
              I often make blind scouse for myself I don't always fancy stew.

              Edna

              Comment


              • #8
                Plymouthians are those born in Plymouth, confined to the city only, whatever that is these days! Plymouthians or Janners as they are sometimes called have a distinct accent, which is not Devon, but Plymouthian! When I was at school, we were warned not to gain a Plymouthian accent and had elocution lessons to eradicate it!!! I am not sure how the name came about, we were never told that so I will now have to google to find out more! My own guess is that as it was a seafaring city with many foreign ships coming in to the port that the city became used to multiple accents. Also the proximity to Cornwall, just a ferry boat ride away, might also have had an influence.

                Janet
                Last edited by Janet; 13-08-15, 20:20.

                Comment


                • #9
                  People born on the Isle of Wight are known as Corkheads. My OH and son are both Caulkheads.

                  One theory about the term 'caulkhead' is that it comes from the once prevalent local industry of caulking boats; a process of sealing the seams of wooden boats with oakum.

                  Those who have moved to the Island are know as Overners.
                  Wendy



                  PLEASE SCAN AT 300-600 DPI FOR RESTORATION PURPOSES. THANK YOU!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Some do say that the origin of the "Cornish Pasty" is Plymouth not Cornwall! Some Plymouthian words I remember were words like "ansome" handsome, "Demport" Devonport, "Where's it to" where is it, "Innit" isn't it, "reet moi aaanzum" reet maid" "oright" hello "this afty".

                    Since living near London for so long, I had forgotten these words until I googled, but after all these years I still greet people with "oright" when I meet anyone I know, instead of Hello, and I have only just realised what I have been saying!!!

                    Janet

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I moved from Liverpool to Southport and Southport born people are called "Sandgrounders" because houses were mostly built on sand.
                      Another area of Southport where I live is called Marshside built on Marshes and the original "Marshsiders" Shrimpers/Sailors were said to be from Norway having their own dialect right up to the last Century.

                      Edna

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        People born in Arundel in West Sussex are known as Mullets:

                        Caroline
                        Caroline's Family History Pages
                        Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          A much more recent one - and decidedly uncomplimentary! - is Dingles (as in the Emmerdale Dimgles) for people from Burnley. I haven't asked my friend Google for origins/first citations, but I think it may have started as a rival football fans' insult to Burnley fans, and then gained wider currency from there...
                          Christine
                          Last edited by Karamazov; 13-08-15, 23:28.
                          Researching:
                          HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Caroline View Post
                            People born in Arundel in West Sussex are known as Mullets:

                            http://www.information-britain.co.uk...del%20Mullet/#
                            Hubby and I were just talking about that last night! He always talked about the Mullets when he was going to watch Arundel play football.

                            In Hastings, Sussex fishermen were known as "chopbacks" (derogatory term) allegedly because a foreign fisherman was killed by being chopped either side of his spine. I've no idea if it is still current. A quick search of historic newspapers shows that story being told in the 1880s in Cornwall that it was because they'd cut off the hands of sailors clinging to wreckage. (A Surrey newspaper of 1879 refers to the residents of Lewes by that name with reference to Bonfire Night which just goes to show that journalists even then got it wrong).

                            Barlickers come from Barnoldswick (currently in Lancs but should be in Yorks)
                            Last edited by Jill on the A272; 14-08-15, 07:26. Reason: Barlick

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Thank you all so much so far! This is really useful stuff - it's a mix of old and new info, but your comments on the well-documented names are adding fresh insights. (I didn't know about Mullets and Barlickers!) Please keep them coming! Jill

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                People from Dumfries are Doonhamers. As many worked away in the city (Glasgow or Edinburgh) or studied at the university, at the weekend they went "doon hame".

                                People from Fraserburgh are Brochers. The name of the place was originally Faithlie in Scottish Gaelic A'Bhruaich

                                Glasgow folks are Weegies and Edinburgh folks are Edinbu**ers. Neither lot of citizens is fond of their nickname but it's entrenched in the psyche.
                                Last edited by GallowayLass; 14-08-15, 14:14.

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Paisley folks and their football team are the Buddies. I don't know why.

                                  Clydebank folks are Bankies for the obvious reason.

                                  Hawick folk are Terries. It comes from a warcry used by the men of the town at the Battle of Flodden.

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Natives of Swansea are known as Jacks and Llanelli folk are Turks and they are proud of it. Jacks may have had something to do with the tin containers in which the miners carried their food while Turks, I'm told by my sis in law who is a proud turk, might have something to do with the many Turkish sailors who used to visit the port. Llanelli was known as Tinopolis because of the tin industry.

                                    Comment

                                    Working...
                                    X