List of British regional nicknames

Last updated

In addition to formal demonyms, many nicknames are used for residents of the different regions of the United Kingdom. For example, natives and residents of Liverpool are formally referred to as Liverpudlians, but are most commonly referred to as Scousers (after their local dish). Some, but not all, of these nicknames may be derogatory.

Contents

A - B

Aberdeen
Dorics, Donians or Teuchters. Football team are nicknamed The Dons
Arbroath
Red Lichties or Lichties, Codheids
Basingstoke
Amazingstoke, Bas Vegans after Bas Vegas , Basingjoker , Stokie
Barnsley
Barnzolians, Tykes, [1] Colliers (a former mining community), Dingles (pejorative, by people from Sheffield)
Barrow in Furness
Shipbuilders
Bath
Bathonians, Tubbies, Spiders (pejorative)
Belfast
McCooeys, Dunchers
Beverley
Bevsters
Birkenhead
Plastic Scousers (or Plazzies)
Birmingham
Brummies [2]
Black Country
Yam Yams, [3] Nineheads
Blackburn
Horse Botherers (pejorative, by people from Burnley and other Lancashire towns, after bestiality convictions) [4]
Blackpool
Blackpudlians, Sand Grown 'Uns, Seasiders, Donkey Lashers / Botherers (the town has been rumoured to feature a donkey brothel) [5]
Bolton
Trotters (originally a football term, it is now used to describe anyone from Bolton and surrounding area), Noblot (collective noun, anagram for Bolton)
Bo'ness
Bo'neds (pejorative)
Bournemouth
Coffin Dodgers (due its popularity as a retirement area)
Bradford
Bradfordians, Bradistanis (pejorative)
Bramley
Villagers (by people from other areas of Leeds)
Brighton
Jugs (archaic)[ citation needed ]
Bristol
Bristolians, Wurzels (pejorative)
Britain
Limeys in Canada and the United States [6]  : Pommies in Australia and New Zealand [7]  : Les Rosbifs in France [8]
Tommy, Island Monkey in Germany [9]
Burnley
Burnleyites, Dingles (pejorative, by people from other Lancashire towns, notably Blackburn)
Bury
Shakers (originally a football term, it is now used to describe anyone from Bury and surrounding area)

C - D

Caernarfon
Cofi
Caithness
Gallach [10]
Cambridge
Fenners, Swamp People

Cardiff: Bluebirds

Carlisle
Carlers, Gypsies
Ceredigion
Cardi [11]
Chatham
Chavs [12] [ failed verification ]
Chesterfield
Spireites, Chessies
Cleethorpes
Meggies
Colchester
Colchies, Romans, Camuloonies, Steamies, Castlers, Cross 'n' Crowners (after Colchester's coat of arms).
Corby
Plastic Jocks
Cornwall
Kernowicks, Merry-Jacks, Mera-Jacks, Uncle Jacks or Cousin Jacks (when abroad).
Crawley
Creepy Crawlies, Insects [13]
Darlington
Quakers, Darloids, DCs, Monte Darlo
Derby
Bockers, Sheep Shaggers, Rams
Devon
Janners
Dingwall
Gudgie
Doncaster
Flatlanders (especially by people from Sheffield), Knights, Doleites
Dorchester
Dorchvegas
Dorset
Dorset Knobs (from the famous biscuit), Dumplings
Dover
Dovorian
Droitwich Spa
Monners
Dumfries
Doonhamers
Dundee
Dundonians
Duns
Dingers
Durham
Durhamites, Posh Mackems, Posh Geordies, Cuddies, Pit Yackers (due to Durham's mining heritage)

E – G

Eastbourne
Winnicks or Willicks (dialect name of a guillemot or wild person) [14]
Edinburgh
Edinburgers or Edinbourgeois (used more so when referring to people from more affluent suburbs of Edinburgh), Dunediner (Gaelic Origin), Toonies (Scots)
England
Sassenachs (used by Scottish and Irish; Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic word "Sasannach", meaning "Saxon"), Sassies, Red Coats, Inglish, [15] Nigels, Guffy (primarily in Northeast Scotland from the Scots 'pig'), Sais (Welsh), Englandshire (in Scotland), The Shire (in Scotland), Poms (Australia)
Essex
Essex Calves (archaic), Easties, Essers, Wideboys, Saxons, Scimitars (from the county Coat of Arms)
Exeter
Grecians (especially those from around the St Sidwells area and Exeter City FC fans generally)
Fleetwood
Codheads
Forest of Dean
Foresters, Deaners, Offers
Fraserburgh
Brochers, [16] not to be confused with people from Burghead
Frodsham
Jowie Heads (from old Runcorn area Cheshire meaning turnip, reference to the rural position of the town)
Galashiels
Pale Merks (from the claim that Gala was the last major town in Scotland to have plumbing/running water)
Glasgow
Glaswegian, Keelies, [17] [18] Weegies [19]
Glossop
Hillmen (due to its proximity to the Peak District)
Gloucester
Gloucestrian(s)
Goole
Goolies
Grimsby
Codheads, Haddocks, Grimmies
Gillingham, Kent
Medwayers
Gosport, Hampshire
Turk Towners
Great Yarmouth
Yarcos
Guisborough
Woollybacks

H - K

Hampshire
Hampshire Hogs, Bacon Faces (reference to Hampshire as a pig-raising county in former times)
Hartlepool
Monkey Hangers, [20] Poolies
Hawick
Teri
Haydock
Yickers
Heywood
Monkeys [21]
Highlands and Islands (of Scotland)
Teuchters, used by other Scots and sometimes applied by Greater Glasgow natives to anyone speaking in a dialect other than Glaswegian
Hinckley
Tin Hatters
Huddersfield
Dog Botherers
Hull
Codheads, Hully Gullies, 'Ullites
Inverness
Sneckies
Ipswich
Tractor Boys, Carrot Crunchers
Irthlingborough
Irthlings
Isle of Wight
Caulkheads (named after the caulking of boats)
Kettering
Sheep shaggers, Ketteringers pansies
Kendal
Kendalians
Kilbarchan
Habbie
Haverfordwest
Long necks

L

Lancashire
Yonners (specifically south-eastern Lancashire around the Oldham and Rochdale areas)
Leeds
Loiners [22]
Leicester
Rat Eyes (from the Roman name for the city: Ratae), Chisits (from the pronunciation of "how much is it," which sounds like "I'm a chisit"); Foxes, Bin Dippers (named after Foxes)
Leicestershire
Leicesterites, Bean Bellies (from the eating of broad beans) [23]
Leigh
Leythers, Lobby Gobblers (from lobby)
Lincolnshire
Yellow Bellies (after a species of frog common in the Lincolnshire and East Anglian Fens) [24]
Linlithgow
Black Bitch, from the burgh coat of arms
Littlehampton
LA, from the local accent being unable to pronounce the 'h' in Hampton[ citation needed ]
Liverpool
Scousers (from the stew known as scouse), [25] [26]
Plastic Scousers or Plazzies (a person who falsely claims to be from Liverpool), [27]
Woolybacks or Wools (a person from the surrounding areas of Liverpool, especially St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, or the Wirral) [28] [29]
Llanelli
Turks [ citation needed ]
London
Cockneys (Traditionally those born within the sound of the bells of St Mary le Bow, Cheapside)
Lossiemouth
Codheids [ citation needed ]
Louth
Luddites
Luton
Hatters

M - N

Manchester
Manc, the shortened version of the demonym Mancunians
Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Scabs - offensive, linked to the divisions during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985) [30]
Malmesbury
Jackdaws
Middlesbrough
Smoggies. [31]
Montrose
Gable Endies
Nantwich
Dabbers [32]
Neath
Abbey-Jacks, Blacks, Blackjacks.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Geordies
Norfolk
Norfolk Dumplings ("Dumplings being a favourite food in that county") [33]
Northampton
Cobblers, after the ancient shoe industry that thrived in the town.
Northern Ireland
Paddies, Huns (sectarian offensive term for pro-British Unionists), Taigs (sectarian offensive term for pro-Irish Nationalists)
North Shields, Tyne and Wear
Cods Heeds, Fish Nabbers[ citation needed ]
North Wales
Gogs [34]
Northwich
Salter Boys[ citation needed ]
Norwich
Canaries
Nottingham
Boggers, Scabs (insult; see Mansfield)
Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Codders, Treacle Towners[ citation needed ]

O - R

Oldham
Yonners (from Oldham pronunciation of 'yonder' as in 'up yonner'), Roughyeds, Biffos
Paisley
Buddies, [35]
Peterhead
Bluemogganers, Blue Tooners
Plymouth
Janners. Originally a person who spoke with a Devon accent, [36] [37] now simply any West Countryman. [36] In naval slang (where the place is referred to as Guz [38] ), this is specifically a person from Plymouth. [37]
Portsmouth
Pompey (shared by the city, the naval base and the football club), Skates
Redcar
Codheads
Rotherham
Chuckles, Rotherbirds
Royston, Hertfordshire
Crows
Rye
Mudlarks [39]

S

St Helens
Woollybacks [40]
Scarborough
Algerinos, Bottom-enders (for those born or raised in the old town)
Scotland
Scotties, Jocks [41] Macs, Sweaties (offensive; from rhyming slang "Sweaty Sock" for Jock).
Selkirk
Souters
Shavington
Tramps[ citation needed ]
Sheffield
Dee Dars, Steelmekkers.[ citation needed ]
Sheringham
Shannock
Shrewsbury
Salops (shortened version of the demonym Salopians)
Skelmersdale
Skemheads, Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
Skye
Sgitheanachs
Southampton
Scum(mers)
South Shields
Sand Dancers:
South Wales
Hwntws (by people from North Wales)
Southern England
Southern Fairies, Shandy Drinkers
Southport
Sandgrounders, Groundies
Stalybridge
Stalyvegas
Stockport
Stopfordians (from an old name for Stockport), Hatters
Stockton on Tees
Smoggies
Stoke-on-Trent
Potters, Clay Heads, Stokies, Jug Heads, kidsgrove spiders,
Stranraer
Cleyholers
Strood
Long Tails, Stroodles
Stroud
Stroudies
Sunderland
Mackems [42]
Surrey
Capon
Sutherland
Cattach
Swansea
Jacks, Swansea Jacks
Swindon
Moonrakers

T - V

Tarbert, Loch Fyne
Dookers (named after guillemot and razorbill, sea-birds once a popular food among Tarbert natives)
Teignmouth
Muffians
Telford
Telfies, Chavs

W

Wales
Taffs [Mid/West Welsh] (sometimes considered offensive), [43] Taffies. [44]
Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Wallies
Walsall
Saddlers
Warrington
Wire, Wirepullers (after the local wire industry), [ citation needed ] Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
Welshpool
Soup Heads
Westhoughton
Keawyeds (Cowheads, after local legend)
West Riding of Yorkshire
Wessies (in other parts of Yorkshire)
Weymouth and Portland
Kimberlins (Portland name for a person from Weymouth)
Weymouth
Weybiza (due to the wild nightlife the town has adopted)
Whitehaven
Marras, Jam Eaters, Wetties
Widnes
Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
Wigan
Pie-eaters(after eating humble pie), Pie-noshers, Purrers, [45]
Wiltshire
Moonrakers
Wolverhampton
Yam Yams (from local dialect where people say "Yam" meaning "Yow am" meaning "You are")
Worthing
Pork Bolters [39]
Workington
Jam Eaters
Whitby
Codheads

Y - Z

York
Yorkies, Old Yorkers
Yorkshire
Tykes, Yorkies, Yorkie Bars

See also

Citations

  1. "tyke", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 674)
  2. "Brummie", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 95)
  3. "Wolverhampton researches Black Country dialect". The Guardian. 27 January 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  4. "Man Charged with Having Sex with Horse". Lancashire Telegraph. 9 July 2012.
  5. "BBC report 2011 Blackpool Councillor Sorry for Donkey Botherer Jibe" . Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  6. "limey", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 401)
  7. "pommy", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 506–507)
  8. "Why do the French call the British 'the roast beefs'?". BBC News Online . 3 April 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  9. "Few laughs for 'humorous' Kraut". BBC News Online. 24 October 2001. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  10. Transactions of the Gaelic Society. Gaelic Society of Inverness. 1907. p.  97 . Retrieved 30 September 2010. Gallach caithness.
  11. "Cardi", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 119)
  12. "Definition of Chav in English". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  13. "MOST Crawley residents have probably, at some time, referred to the town by its well-known nickname – Creepy Crawley". This Is Sussex. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  14. Wales, Tony (2000). Sussex as She Wus Spoke, a Guide to the Sussex Dialect. Seaford: SB Publications. ISBN   978-1-85770-209-5.
  15. "Sassenach", (Robinson 1985, pp. 581)
  16. Room, Adrian (2003). Placenames of the world: origins and meanings of the names for over 5000 natural features, countries, capitals, territories, cities, and historic sites. McFarland. p. 426. ISBN   978-0-7864-1814-5.
  17. Brewer, E. Cobham. "Nicknames". Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. Retrieved 29 September 2010 via Bartleby.com.
  18. "keelie", (Robinson 1985, pp. 335)
  19. Castillo, Michelle (20 August 2009). "Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Glasgow, Scotland". Peter Greenberg Travel Detective. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  20. "The Hartlepool Monkey, Who hung the monkey?". This is Hartlepool. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  21. Dawson, Chris. "Hey, Hey, We're Monkey Town". Ten Thousand Years in Monkey Town.
  22. "Loiner", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 406)
  23. Evans, Arthur Benoni (1881). Evans, Sebastian (ed.). Leicestershire Words, Phrases, and Proverbs (enlarged ed.). London: N. Trübner for English Dialect Society. p. 101.
  24. Brewer, E. Cobham. "Yellow-belly". Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. Retrieved 30 September 2010 via Bartleby.com.
  25. Fazakerley, p. 24
  26. "Mickey Mouse" - rhyming slang for "Scouse", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 429)
  27. "Plastic Scouser". Allwords.com.
  28. "Woolyback". Slang.org.uk.
  29. "Woolyback". Allwords.com.
  30. Emery, Jay (1 January 2018). "Belonging, memory and history in the north Nottinghamshire coalfield". Journal of Historical Geography. 59: 77–89. doi: 10.1016/j.jhg.2017.11.004 . hdl: 2381/42989 .
  31. Harley, Shaun (16 July 2007). "I was made in Middlesbrough". BBC News Online. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  32. White, Jonathan (3 May 2020). "A Dabber Debate - what's your preferred derivation?". Nantwich News. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  33. Grose. "Dictionary of the vulgar tongue". Words from old books. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  34. "gog", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 295)
  35. "Paisley Buddies". Paisley Scotland. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  36. 1 2 "janner", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 363)
  37. 1 2 Tawney, Cyril (1987). "Glossary". Grey funnel lines: traditional song & verse of the Royal Navy, 19001970. Taylor & Francis. p. 167. ISBN   978-0-7102-1270-2.
  38. "Plymouth's nickname 'Guz' and the reasons behind it". Plymouth Live. 29 September 2019.
  39. 1 2 Arscott, David (2006). Wunt Be Druv - A Salute to the Sussex Dialect. Countryside Books. ISBN   978-1-84674-006-0.
  40. "Who are the woollybacks?". St Helens Star. 9 February 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  41. "jock", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 369)
  42. "Quiz: How Much of a Mackem are YOU?". Sunderland Echo . 4 January 2009. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  43. "taff", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 369)
  44. Cf. the nursery rhyme "Taffy was a Welshman / Taffy was a thief / Taffy came to my house / To steal a piece of beef."
  45. Dialect term for "kicker"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitmatic</span> Dialects spoken in former mining areas of Northumberland and Durham

Pitmatic – originally 'pitmatical' – is a group of traditional Northern English dialects spoken in rural areas of the Great Northern Coalfield in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouse</span> Accent and dialect of English in the Liverpool City Region

Scouse, more formally known as Liverpool English or Merseyside English, is an accent and dialect of English associated with the city of Liverpool and the surrounding Liverpool City Region. The Scouse accent is highly distinctive as it was influenced heavily by Irish and Welsh immigrants who arrived via the Liverpool docks, as well as Scandinavian sailors who also used the docks, and thus has very little in common with the accents found throughout the rest of England. People from Liverpool are known as Liverpudlians, but are usually called Scousers; the name comes from scouse, a stew originating from Scandinavian lobscouse eaten by sailors and locals.

This glossary of names for the British include nicknames and terms, including affectionate ones, neutral ones, and derogatory ones to describe British people, Irish People and more specifically English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish people. Many of these terms may vary between offensive, derogatory, neutral and affectionate depending on a complex combination of tone, facial expression, context, usage, speaker and shared past history.

Mackem, Makem or Mak'em is a nickname for residents of and people from Sunderland, a city in North East England. It is also a name for the local dialect and accent ; and for a fan, of whatever origin, of Sunderland A.F.C. It has been used by the people of Sunderland to describe themselves since the 1980s, prior to which it was mainly used in Tyneside as a disparaging exonym. An alternative name for a Mackem is a Wearsider.

Pikey is an ethnic slur referring to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people. It is used mainly in the United Kingdom and in Ireland to refer to people who belong to groups which had a traditional travelling lifestyle. Groups referred to with this term include Irish Travellers, English Gypsies, Welsh Kale, Scottish Lowland Travellers, Scottish Highland Travellers, and Funfair Travellers. These groups consider the term to be extremely offensive.

"Chav", also "charver", "scally" and "roadman" in parts of England, is a British term, usually used in a pejorative way. The term is used to describe an anti-social lower-class youth dressed in sportswear. The use of the word has been described as a form of "social racism". "Chavette" is a related term referring to female chavs, and the adjectives "chavvy", "chavvish", and "chavtastic" are used to describe things associated with chavs, such as fashion, slang, etc. In other countries like Ireland, "skanger" is used in a similar manner. In Ontario, the term is "hoodman", an equivalent of the term "roadman" used in England. In Newfoundland, "skeet" is used in a similar way, while in Australia, "eshay" or "adlay" is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gang bang</span> Sex with several individuals at the same time

A gang bang is a sexual activity in which one person is the central focus of the sexual activity of several people, usually more than three, sequentially or simultaneously. The term generally refers to a woman being the focus; one man with multiple women can be referred to as a "reverse gang bang". The term has become associated with the porn industry and usually describes a staged event whereby a woman has sex with several men in direct succession. Bukkake is a type of gang bang, originating in Japan, that focuses on the central person being ejaculated upon by male participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouse (food)</span> Stew made from meat, potatoes and onion

Scouse is a type of stew typically made from chunks of meat with potatoes, carrots, and onion. It is particularly associated with the port of Liverpool; hence, the inhabitants of that city are often referred to as "scousers". The word "scouse" comes from lobscouse, a stew commonly eaten by sailors throughout northern Europe in the past, and surviving in different forms there today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English language in Northern England</span> Modern Northern English accents and dialects

The spoken English language in Northern England has been shaped by the region's history of settlement and migration, and today encompasses a group of related accents and dialects known as Northern England English or Northern English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharug language</span> Australian Aboriginal language of the Sydney area

The Dharug language, also spelt Darug, Dharuk, and other variants, and also known as the Sydney language, Gadigal language, is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Yuin–Kuric group that was traditionally spoken in the region of Sydney, New South Wales, until it became extinct due to effects of colonisation. It is the traditional language of the Dharug people. The Dharug population has greatly diminished since the onset of colonisation. The term Eora language has sometimes been used to distinguish a coastal dialect from hinterland dialects, but there is no evidence that Aboriginal peoples ever used this term, which simply means "people". Some effort has been put into reviving a reconstructed form of the language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancashire dialect</span> Northern English vernacular native to Lancashire

The Lancashire dialect refers to the Northern English vernacular speech of the English county of Lancashire. The region is notable for its tradition of poetry written in the dialect.

British slang is English-language slang originating from and used in the United Kingdom and also used to a limited extent in Anglophone countries such as India, Malaysia, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, especially by British expatriates. It is also used in the United States to a limited extent. Slang is informal language sometimes peculiar to a particular social class or group and its use in Britain dates back to before the 15th century. The language of slang, in common with the English language, is changing all the time; new words and phrases are being added and some are used so frequently by so many, they almost become mainstream.

Sexual slang is a set of linguistic terms and phrases used to refer to sexual organs, processes, and activities; they are generally considered colloquial rather than formal or medical, and some may be seen as impolite or improper.

The English language spoken and written in England encompasses a diverse range of accents and dialects. The language forms part of the broader British English, along with other varieties in the United Kingdom. Terms used to refer to the English language spoken and written in England include English English and Anglo-English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coprophilia</span> Sexual paraphilia involving feces

Coprophilia, also called scatophilia or scat, is the paraphilia involving sexual arousal and pleasure from feces.

Smoggie is a colloquial term used to refer to people from the Teesside area of North East England. The term is also used to describe the local accent and dialect spoken in the area. The term relates to the area's notoriety for its high levels of pollution from local industry, which resulted in a thick smog that often blanketed the region. Despite popular belief that the term originates from the 1960s, its earliest recorded use is in the 1990s, as visiting football supporters from other areas of the country began to refer to the locals as "smog monsters", which was later shortened to "smoggies". Despite its origins as a term of derision, "Smoggie" has since been adopted as a term of pride by many residents of Teesside.

Barrovian is an accent and dialect of English found in Barrow-in-Furness and several outlying settlements in Cumbria, England, historically in the county of Lancashire. Although a member of the Cumbrian dialect, The Barrovian and south Cumbria accent has a lot in common with the dialect of northern Lancashire, particularly the Lancaster/Morecambe area.

<i>A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English</i> 1937 dictionary by Eric Partridge

A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English is a dictionary of slang originally compiled by the noted lexicographer of the English language Eric Partridge. The first edition was published in 1937 and seven editions were eventually published by Partridge. An eighth edition was published in 1984, after Partridge's death, by editor Paul Beale; in 1990 Beale published an abridged version, Partridge's Concise Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English.

The Black Country dialect is spoken by many people in the Black Country, a region covering most of the four Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. The traditional dialect preserves many archaic traits of Early Modern English and even Middle English and may be unintelligible for outsiders. This dialect is distinct from and maintains more traditional characteristics than the dialect of Birmingham, which has been more influenced by standard English due to having been urban for a longer time. It has also influenced the accents of the towns and villages in the counties to the north, south and west of the region.

References