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What are people from Liverpool called

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B&I

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Hope I didn't give the impression I was knocking the staff, especially the front line men and women amongst whom I have friends. They have my utmost sympathy. They go to work with both hands tied behind their back. A guy I chat to in one of my local stations hadn't been told what to expect on Sunday and struggled to find out. He is someone who always goes the extra mile to give the best advice he can. I understand his predicament as I have been in similar situations in work and it shouldn't happen. Wasn't that impressed with the Network Rail guy at Lime Street who said he didn't know and frankly didn't care. The rail replacement bus drivers, what can I say. "Do you go to Mossley Hill and West Allerton?". "Yes". "West Allerton?". "Yes, St Helens". The guy just said yes to whatever you asked. He was a nice enough guy but what can you do about that.


Unfortunately, and I say this as a non-Liverpolitan who has lived here for 16 years, 'nulle posteriore' is a common problem in this part of the world. In fairness, it's a common problem everywhere in present-day England, but some people round here make a point of being particularly blatant about it


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fowler9

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Unfortunately, and I say this as a non-Liverpolitan who has lived here for 16 years, 'nulle posteriore' is a common problem in this part of the world. In fairness, it's a common problem everywhere in present-day England, but some people round here make a point of being particularly blatant about it
Liverpudlian mate. Ha ha.
 

fowler9

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Either is correct. As also are 'Scouser' and 'Whacker'
Thanks for letting me know. After 44 years living here (since birth) I have never heard anyone refer to themselves as a Liverpolitan or a Whacker. Years ago Scousers may have called each other whack instead of mate. Liverpolitan though! Which part of Liverpool uses that? Perhaps some wool.
 
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johnmoly

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I have never heard anyone refer to themselves as a Liverpolitan or a Whacker.

Agreed, and I've been here 72 years.
 

robbeech

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Whilst I don’t live here* I work here* fairly regularly compared to a lot of cities and know a lot of people from the area and it’s a new one on me too but no doubt it’s common in the places it’s common. A bit like different names for certain types of bread, that can vary by street.

*i say ‘here’ As I am working here in Liverpool this week.
 

142Pilot

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It's wacker not whacker. I have heard it loads from old school Scousers. Like my Al man.

Liverpolian is for them NIMBY's in the south of the city who think because they have a park or two that they are bohemian. Generally lark lane types.
 

B&I

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It's wacker not whacker. I have heard it loads from old school Scousers. Like my Al man.

Liverpolian is for them NIMBY's in the south of the city who think because they have a park or two that they are bohemian. Generally lark lane types.


Wasn't sure how 'wacker' was spelt so thanks for that.

I like 'Liverpolitan' because a) I am precisely the sort of stuck-up.prat you describe who gets worried about things like faf pseudo-mayors letting bis mates cover oarks in houses no-one can afford, though I live in Broad Green because everyone knows life gets cheaper north of the Chat Moss line b) from what I've read it's a term which pre-dates Liverpudlian c) it suggests a city a bit grander and more eccentric than the lumpy Lancastrian of 'Liverpudlian', one that deserves a proper rail service rather than whatever afterthought Northern provides.

Still, ewch to their own, or 'a ciascuno il sua', as us stuck-up prats say
 

fowler9

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Fair play chaps. I still don't recall hearing anyone describe themselves as a Wacker, I was sure it was a word used in place of mate.
 

185143

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Serious answers only?:D

I work in Manchester so have heard people from Liverpool called a lot of things...
 

Ianno87

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My Dad used to call me wack

Mine called me wacker. Neither of us have ever liver in Liverpool (he's from Northern Ireland, lived in Glasgow for a bit, before settling in Lancashire most of his life)
 

61653 HTAFC

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Thanks for letting me know. After 44 years living here (since birth) I have never heard anyone refer to themselves as a Liverpolitan or a Whacker. Years ago Scousers may have called each other whack instead of mate. Liverpolitan though! Which part of Liverpool uses that? Perhaps some wool.
To give some context to @fowler9 's bit I've bolded, as a one-time resident of the town of Ormskirk I encountered the term "Woolyback" which was used to refer to someone from the rural hinterland surrounding Liverpool. In particular the West Lancashire area which includes Ormskirk.

I did once see some "Liverpolitans"( ;)) get into an argument about whether the term should be used for people from over the water on the Wirral or not.
 

Bletchleyite

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Born in Fazakerley and grew up in Aintree until age 7, then went posh and moved to Aughton.

I've heard of Scouser or Liverpudlian, but never any of the others. "Liverpolitan" definitely not.

If you're from Liverpool itself, someone from the Wirral is a "plazzy" i.e. plastic Scouser. Have also heard the term "wool" which as @61653 HTAFC says was more often used to describe someone from Lancashire or Manchester (being of course in old Lancashire, though "Manc" is a more usual term) but I have heard used to describe someone from the Wirral.
 

Bletchleyite

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My Dad used to call me wack

I might have heard it as a term of endearment like "mate" but never to describe the city of origin. There's also the term "full wack" which describes paying the full price for something, e.g. one of VT's outrageously priced Anytime fares, for which "bunking the train" might be a preferred alternative among some.

(If they are still about, the "Lern yerself Scouse" books are really quite good!)
 

Bletchleyite

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Wasn't sure how 'wacker' was spelt so thanks for that.

I like 'Liverpolitan' because a) I am precisely the sort of stuck-up.prat you describe who gets worried about things like faf pseudo-mayors letting bis mates cover oarks in houses no-one can afford, though I live in Broad Green because everyone knows life gets cheaper north of the Chat Moss line b) from what I've read it's a term which pre-dates Liverpudlian c) it suggests a city a bit grander and more eccentric than the lumpy Lancastrian of 'Liverpudlian', one that deserves a proper rail service rather than whatever afterthought Northern provides.

Still, ewch to their own, or 'a ciascuno il sua', as us stuck-up prats say

I wondered if you might live in "Aintree Village", a pretentious sounding invented location (by Sefton Council) that is more correctly termed "The Old Roan", pronounced "De Old Roan" as in "De Asda" (where I grew up until age 7, so I should know what it's called!) Named after a pub that was closed down due to disorder (from which the station also takes its name), which says a bit about what it's like there! :)
 

swj99

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........... as a one-time resident of the town of Ormskirk I encountered the term "Woolyback" which was used to refer to someone from the rural hinterland surrounding Liverpool. In particular the West Lancashire area which includes Ormskirk.....
Has that subsiding house near there collapsed or fallen down yet ?

Last time I was in the area, I heard Formby referred to as Farm Boy.
 

185143

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I think it's on the way to Southport, isn't it? Forget exactly where or I'd look at Google Street View and see.
It is yes. Much nearer Southport than Liverpool (or certainly feels that way when on the 50X stock)
 

AntoniC

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The defendant ..... !!!!
And I would be called a wool (from woolyback) as I live in Southport .
 

185143

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Oh, we were talking about the subsiding house, which is on the A-road from Ormskirk to Southport and nowhere near any railway.
Ah. Thought you were talking about the village of Formby still. Sorry!:D
 

Calthrop

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The "woollyback" ("wool" for short) term: my family come originally, from Chester and the Wirral -- have thus tended to hear of the expression, as urban Liverpudlians referring to Wirral inhabitants; this perceived particular Wirral connection, no doubt because we didn't know anyone from the "outback" regions east and north of the Mersey.

Have been given to understand that "woolyback" in Liverpool-speak, is an instance of the idea and accompanying insult often held by townsfolk in many places, re their country-dwelling neighbours: to the effect that the latter are -- er -- too fond of their sheep, in a way prohibited by civil and religious lawgivers. I had a great-uncle who dwelt on a farm in the Wirral, but for many years earned his living in an office in central Liverpool. He was a sweet fellow; a devout Christian, very innocent and unworldly, and a lifelong bachelor. I've always hoped that -- as seems quite likely -- when his "townie" colleagues called him a woolyback, he was unaware of the word's connotation: if he had been aware of it, I see him as feeling utterly mortified.
 

CarltonA

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Have been given to understand that "woolyback" in Liverpool-speak, is an instance of the idea and accompanying insult often held by townsfolk in many places, re their country-dwelling neighbours: to the effect that the latter are -- er -- too fond of their sheep, in a way prohibited by civil and religious lawgivers. I had a great-uncle who dwelt on a farm in the Wirral, but for many years earned his living in an office in central Liverpool. He was a sweet fellow; a devout Christian, very innocent and unworldly, and a lifelong bachelor. I've always hoped that -- as seems quite likely -- when his "townie" colleagues called him a woolyback, he was unaware of the word's connotation: if he had been aware of it, I see him as feeling utterly mortified.

A more respectable origin of the term "woolyback" I believe, is that farmers from West Lancashire would arrive at Liverpool markets wearing sheepskin waistcoats and subsequently earned the nickname that way. It was eventually extended to all Lancastrians and those from Manchester.

I once worked with someone from the Liverpool area that insisted on calling all male colleagues "our kid" and women were referred to as "queen".
 

Calthrop

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A more respectable origin of the term "woolyback" I believe, is that farmers from West Lancashire would arrive at Liverpool markets wearing sheepskin waistcoats and subsequently earned the nickname that way. It was eventually extended to all Lancastrians and those from Manchester.

Ah ! Restoring a bit of proportion; and a reminder that there's such a thing as being too dirty-minded...
I once worked with someone from the Liverpool area that insisted on calling all male colleagues "our kid" and women were referred to as "queen".

Somewhat similar in Birmingham -- the "our kid" thing is widespread, male-to-male (quite often a younger male will call an older one, "our kid" -- nothing unpleasant or disrespectful intended). Women tend to call absolutely everyone "bab". I find all this rather sweet, if a bit weird !
 

pemma

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To give some context to @fowler9 's bit I've bolded, as a one-time resident of the town of Ormskirk I encountered the term "Woolyback" which was used to refer to someone from the rural hinterland surrounding Liverpool. In particular the West Lancashire area which includes Ormskirk.

I've heard the term Woolyback being used to refer to people from Winsford (a town where a number of people from the Liverpool area moved to.)
 

JB_B

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In 1980s Scouse 'Woolyback' covered people from Lancashire, Cheshire and North Wales - it was a term of mild derision for people from the countryside (even though most Woolybacks actually lived in urban areas.)

The exception was 'Manc' - also a term of derision but not so mild.

'Whack' was still used by older people where southerners might use 'mate' (as in "Ar Ay, Whack?")
 
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