RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Leodensian on Friday 27 September 13 11:52 BST (UK)
-
Hello all!
I'm a writer doing some research into place names, specifically why people from certain places are called what they're called. We've all heard of Geordies, Mancunians, Brummies etc., but what I'm really interested in is the lesser-known or more obscure names. For example, people from Sheffield are Dee Dars, South Shields natives are Sandancers ... There are usually various theories as to the whys!
So ... Where you are from and what are people from your home town or city called? Perhaps most importantly, do you know why? For now, I'll need to restrict research to the UK.
Thanks in advance. Look forward to receiving replies!
Jill
-
Hi Gill
For starters!.... here in Nantwich, Cheshire we are called "dabbers".... numerous theories!..
http://www.dabbersnantwich.me.uk/dabber.htm
Sarah :)
-
Lincolnshire ~ Yellow Bellies. Many theories to that too, one being the yellow waistcoats worn by the Militia but still disputed. Good luck with your book it should be very interesting.
-
Wiltshire - Moonrakers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonrakers
-
Hampshire hogs
-
Lincolnshire ~ Yellow Bellies. Many theories to that too, one being the yellow waistcoats worn by the Militia but still disputed. Good luck with your book it should be very interesting.
I think it's connected to the song; "The Grand Old Duke of York... who had 10,000 men, he marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again..."
The reason he had his soldiers marching round the hill several times was to fool his red rose brother into thinking he had a bigger army than he actually had. He shouldn't have had to do that but part of his army seeing the size of the Lancastrian army left the party before it began - they being the Lincolnshire men whose uniform was blue and yellow = the yella bellies.
-
The Blackburn people call the people of Burnley "Pikeys" - I haven't discovered why as it goes back into the clouds of time, but it could be something to do with the building of a Turnpike road which went through Burnley from Blackburn in the 1750s when Burnley became a relatively rich town. To progress along a turnpike road you had to pay a fee (a toll) and if you didn't pay you'd be turned back by the pike keeper. (pike = long spear) It must have been galling to have to pay when once upon a time you could move freely along a well trodden path.
-
Hi Rena I have heard that version too. I doubt the true origin will ever be known. It does make me laugh though when I see car stickers proclaiming " proud to be a yellowbelly" , rather difficult when you don't know the meaning.
-
Galashiels was the last town in the Borders to get mains sewage. The natives were known as "Pailies" as they had were reputed to have a ring mark on their posteriors.
Skoosh.
-
In Whitehaven (a west Cumbrian town), the disparaging term for someone from Workington (another w Cumbrian town) is a jam eater. Presumably because they're too poor to have a better class of sandwich.
In Workington, the term for someone from Whitehaven is - you guessed it - jam eater!
-
Very entertaining Skoosh and Mike .
-
We Tykes are from (West) Yorkshire.
-
A "wee tyke" up here was/is a small cheeky child.
Regards
Malky
-
Somerset " Cuckoo Penners " when the locals caught a cuckoo they put it in a pen, but forgot to put a top on the pen! so the bird just flew over the top.
radstockjeff
-
Yes, I remember my grandad saying "That'un's a right little tyke", when one of us had been a bit cheeky/stubborn/too lively.
As ever, there was a fine line between a child being badly behaved and a child showing signs of spirit and individuality!
-
People from Cubbington, Warwickshire are known as "Ear Biters". This is because in about 1920 my great uncle Will Skelcey had his ear partly bitten off by man named Cyphus at a Cubbington United football match. The name was applied to the football team at first, then to the villagers in general. The brass band's theme tune is the "Ear Biter's March". (All googlable).
-
Yes, I remember my grandad saying "That'un's a right little tyke", when one of us had been a bit cheeky/stubborn/too lively.
As ever, there was a fine line between a child being badly behaved and a child showing signs of spirit and individuality!
I'm from Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire (Riding = third). Unlike Scottish children being known as "bairns" we call them "bains" and like your region only mischievous boys are tykes - I've heard my mam and dad call my brothers little tykes at various times ;D
-
A friend from Sunderland claimed they were known as "Monkey Hangers", because during the Napoleonic wars there was a shipwreck and a monkey washed ashore. Not knowing what it was they assumed it was a French spy & hanged it!
-
Galashiels was the last town in the Borders to get mains sewage. The natives were known as "Pailies" as they had were reputed to have a ring mark on their posteriors.
Skoosh.
Their full title is actually 'pail merks' (pail marks) for exactly the reasons you gave :o :o ;D ;D ;D
Terry
-
Beats Skid Merks, Terry :)
Skoosh.
-
liverpool = liverpudlians = scousers
-
People from Cheshire often refer to themselves as "Cheshire Cats".
-
A friend from Sunderland claimed they were known as "Monkey Hangers", because during the Napoleonic wars there was a shipwreck and a monkey washed ashore. Not knowing what it was they assumed it was a French spy & hanged it!
Monkey Hangers are from Hartlepool surely? Hence the football mascot who was elected mayor?
-
A friend from Sunderland claimed they were known as "Monkey Hangers", because during the Napoleonic wars there was a shipwreck and a monkey washed ashore. Not knowing what it was they assumed it was a French spy & hanged it!
Monkey Hangers are from Hartlepool surely? Hence the football mascot who was elected mayor?
and Wearsiders (includes Sunderland) are surely Mackems? No idea why, but one relative had "Makamson" as a middle name!
-
Oh, and people from Morecambe are Sand-grown-uns
-
Beats Skid Merks, Terry :)
Skoosh.
:o ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Can someone enlighten me?
I'm sure that I heard that "mackems"had their counterparts/rivals with another name on th eother side of the Tyne, but can't remember what it was...
I think mackems was something to do with the fact that goods were manufactured/made/macked in the area?
-
Hello everybody
First of all, thanks so much for your replies so far. Very promising! I'll try and reply to as many as possible individually ...
Jill x
(PS I'm from Leeds - hence a Leodensian, or a Loiner, probably both deriving from the old name for the area around Leeds: Leodis or Loidis. Other theories are available ...)
-
Leicester = 'Leicestrians' and/or 'Ligorians'( river Soars old name ) and /or Woolybacks"'
The Roman city of Ratae Coritanorum was founded in AD 50 as a military settlement upon the Fosse Way Roman road. The city was named after the Corieltauvi, the Celtic tribe that dwelt in the area before the Romans arrived.
Ratae Coritanorum grew into an important trading and military centre and one of the largest towns in Roman Britain. The remains of the baths of Roman Leicester can be seen at the Jewry Wall, and other Roman artefacts are displayed in the Jewry Wall museum adjacent to the site.
The Roman town was largely abandoned when the Romans left Britain in the 5th century, but was later re-settled by Saxons. In the 9th century, Leicester was captured by the Danes (Vikings) and became one of the five boroughs (fortified towns) of Danelaw, although this position was short lived. The Saxon Bishop of Leicester fled to Dorchester-on-Thames and Leicester was not to become a bishopric again until the 20th century.
It is believed the name "Leicester" is derived from the words castra (camp) of the Ligore, meaning dwellers on the 'River Legro' (an early name for the River Soar). In the early 10th century it was recorded as Ligeraceaster = "the town of the Ligor people". The Domesday book later recorded it as Ledecestre.
I have also heard people from Leicester called "Woolybacks" which comes from the very rich wool merchants of the medival times who were given the licenses to sell wool by the King a system of trade and its taxation in the 'Staple' markets . The main industry in Leicester in the Middle Ages was making wool, sold as raw fllece, woven into cloth. Then it was fulled( cleaned and thickened by being pounded in a mixture of water and clay). The wool was pounded by wooden hammers, which were worked by watermills. After the wool dried it was dyed.
Although a name also later used for a person( Liverpublian) who worked in Liverpool docks in the 18th Century: Unloading ships, the dockers would carry the woollen bales on their backs leaving traces of wool on their clothing.
-
Surely "woollybacks" can be used by any urban dweller to refer to rural naifs?
-
A friend from Sunderland claimed they were known as "Monkey Hangers", because during the Napoleonic wars there was a shipwreck and a monkey washed ashore. Not knowing what it was they assumed it was a French spy & hanged it!
H'angus the monkey was the first elected mayor of Hartlepool!
-
Thankyou for that information Iluleah as some of my ancestors were from Leicester it is very useful and interesting. I have heard woollybacks and Tigers bv that is all.
-
liverpool = liverpudlians = scousers
I always thought the word scouse came from the type of stew the sailors ate.
-
As did I Rena , at least that is what I was told by a Scouser.
-
Thankyou for that information Iluleah as some of my ancestors were from Leicester it is very useful and interesting. I have heard woollybacks and Tigers bv that is all.
Tigers is because of the 'Tigers Rugby Club' and of course there is the 'Foxes' too which people think is because of Leicester City Football Club, which are the Foxes, but they took the name as Leicestershire was the 'home' of Fox hunting and the many hunts back in the day, such as the famous 'Quorn Hunt' which is a village just off the A46 on route to Melton Mowbray http://www.leics.gov.uk/foxhunting
http://museums.leics.gov.uk/collections-on-line/GetSingleCollection.do?collectionKey=317
-
liverpool = liverpudlians = scousers
I always thought the word scouse came from the type of stew the sailors ate.
Because poor Liverpool people often ate this cheap mariner's stew?
-
liverpool = liverpudlians = scousers
I always thought the word scouse came from the type of stew the sailors ate.
'Scouse' (or, more properly 'lobscouse') was indeed a stew, made by nineteenth century sailors with salted meat, onions and pepper and thickened with ship's biscuit.
-
Scouser as in the food Scouse for Liverpool people:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouse_(food)
Blue
-
Then there was "Blind Scouse" generally eaten at the end of the week when folk were skint.
Made with no meat. And they think vegetarianism is something new. ;D
Skoosh.
-
I am from Sheffield originally and always thought deedar was a derogitary term that people from Barnsley knew us as due to the difference in pronounciation, ie a true Sheffielder prunounces 'th' as 'd' - what dy doin dee, Barnsley - what thy doin thee, normal English - what are you doing. Or dee n dar, thee n thar, you and me. Sheffielders refer to Barnsley people as Dingles, not a clue why :/
-
While serving at R.A.F. Colerne, a local historian told me their local name for persons living in the village was "Hoof Polishers" and the reason is quite humerous. :D
Cheers, Tony.
-
Agree re Sheffield, Dee Dars comes from the habit of saying "thee" and "tha" (= you and yours) with a v hard "th" which sounds like a "d". But sithee, v few people in Sheffield speak like that anymore, thaknows ;)
(OTOH I have no idea what Barnsley folk are saying most of the time, it's impenetrable! TIC!)
-
While serving at R.A.F. Colerne, a local historian told me their local name for persons living in the village was "Hoof Polishers" and the reason is quite humerous. :D
Cheers, Tony.
Something to do with burying a donkey upside down with his legs sticking out of the ground?
radstockjeff
-
Agree re Sheffield, Dee Dars comes from the habit of saying "thee" and "tha" (= you and yours) with a v hard "th" which sounds like a "d". But sithee, v few people in Sheffield speak like that anymore, thaknows ;)
(OTOH I have no idea what Barnsley folk are saying most of the time, it's impenetrable! TIC!)
Lol Annie!! Suppose it depends on the area of Sheffield!! I agree, the Barnsley accent is at times indesipherable. Although I read somewhere that South Yorkshire as a whole, is the easiest accent in the uk to understand :/
-
You've got it Radstock jeff. The vicar had to go away and left his donkey in the villagers keep. It died and started to stink so into the ground it went upside down to show they hadn't sold it. I go over there on the old motorcycle and ask in the "fox and socks" very few of the villagers now the story nowdays.
How about "Thoose a Radge Gadee" Cumbrian. Cheers, Tony.
-
Sorry afraid I can't top the donkey story :-\
But just to add into the mix of Dee Dars, Wooly Backs and Scoucers-
Los Angeles = The angels= Angelinos
-
Agree re Sheffield, Dee Dars comes from the habit of saying "thee" and "tha" (= you and yours) with a v hard "th" which sounds like a "d". But sithee, v few people in Sheffield speak like that anymore, thaknows ;)
(OTOH I have no idea what Barnsley folk are saying most of the time, it's impenetrable! TIC!)
You obviously haven't been to Attercliffe recently, or Darnall. More seriously 48 years ago when I moved from Boston to Doncaster, I asked a young lad in Woodlands how to reach the cricket ground I was playing at. He couldn't understand me and vice versa. I course of work one evening on York station I had to interview a Gateshead driver over an incident. It became a very long interview as both questions and answers had to be written out.
-
In Sheffield Sachin Tendulkar would be known as 't little mester!
-
Interesting thread - I picked up a secondhand book a few years ago which covers similar ground: "Tykes, Dumplings and Scrumpy Jacks" by Bryan Waites (1993, Evergreen, Cheltenham; ISBN 0952241307).
It's a rather whimsical look at the history of various parts of the country and the supposed characteristics of their inhabitants - quite entertaining, though possibly veering towards stereotyping in places. I don't think we minded that kind of thing so much 20 years ago, and in any case, people have moved around a whole lot more since then, so finding a true native in some places can be quite a rarity.
Arthur
-
A friend from Sunderland claimed they were known as "Monkey Hangers", because during the Napoleonic wars there was a shipwreck and a monkey washed ashore. Not knowing what it was they assumed it was a French spy & hanged it!
Monkey Hangers are from Hartlepool surely? Hence the football mascot who was elected mayor?
I think you're right & it was Hartlepool.
-
'Padiham Thick-necks'.
I was told that the inhabitants of Padiham (near Burnley) were called Thick-Necks becaus Goitre was endemic in the locality due to there being low iodine in the diet.
Maggie
-
While people from Blackburn, Lancashire are official called Blackburians......they are often referred to as Dodos because of a habit in speech of saying 'Yes, we do do that'
-
Interesting thread - I picked up a secondhand book a few years ago which covers similar ground: "Tykes, Dumplings and Scrumpy Jacks" by Bryan Waites (1993, Evergreen, Cheltenham; ISBN 0952241307).
It's a rather whimsical look at the history of various parts of the country and the supposed characteristics of their inhabitants - quite entertaining, though possibly veering towards stereotyping in places. I don't think we minded that kind of thing so much 20 years ago, and in any case, people have moved around a whole lot more since then, so finding a true native in some places can be quite a rarity.
Arthur
Arthur, thank you! I'll have a look for that book ...
-
My home town is Portishead, Somerset - locally called "Posset".
So, people from there are Possetonians!
I have never found an explanation as to why the town is called Possett? ;D
-
My home town is Portishead, Somerset - locally called "Posset".
So, people from there are Possetonians!
I have never found an explanation as to why the town is called Possett? ;D
Is it just the way it's pronounced with the elision of the least stressed syllable and probably more than a hint of the local accent?
Arthur
-
My home town is Portishead, Somerset - locally called "Posset".
So, people from there are Possetonians!
I have never found an explanation as to why the town is called Possett? ;D
Is it just the way it's pronounced with the elision of the least stressed syllable and probably more than a hint of the local accent?
Arthur
No it's not actually!
We have a Zummerzet accent (most of the Wurzels live locally!), so we would emphasise the 'R' ;D
And pronunciation proabably nearer Portzed! ;D
-
And pronunciation proabably nearer Portzed! ;D
Fair enough - but because it's relatively similar, I still wonder if it might have its roots in some ancient and now superseded pronunciation.
Cirencester, I believe, used to be generally pronounced "Sisister" but these days the pronunciation is more or less what you'd expect from the spelling.
Arthur
-
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, ideally about the more obscure ones. 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, names, 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
-
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, ideally about the more obscure ones. 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, names, 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
Well you probably know Scousers are named after Lobscouse a stew supposedly introduced to the port city by Scandinavian seafarers.
-
Previous RC thread?
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=662777.
-
Oh. Yes. Apologies - I had forgotten about this. I've returned to the research. Is it OK to start a new thread?!
-
Not a good idea to start another thread on the same topic. Just click on 'report to moderator' and ask for the 2 to be merged together if possible. That way all replies will be in the one place.
Topics merged.
-
Some people are very offended to be called some of these names.
Some names now are used as a term of abuse. Really, this thread should bear that in mind.
-
My Southport Lancs, ancestors were called "Sandgrounders" - or "Sand-grounders" - the soil is very sandy there, so that seems reasonable. I'd thought Leeds folk were Leodians - wasn't there a Pub at Crossgates called the "Leodis", or similar, in the '60s? Usually the most disparaging names seem to be coined by the next-door community - local rivalries?. In Lancashire I heard the small town of Bacup referred to as: "The last place God made - and he forgot to finish it" when in a nearby town.
-
Aren't they still called Sandgrounders TY? I thought so. No doubt some will be along sooner or later.
-
People from Middlesbrough and the greater Teesside area are referred to by people outside the area as Smoggies. It's due to the heavy industries in the area (iron and steel, chemicals) and the resulting air pollution, although this is much more restricted these days.
I think Smoggies is probably a relatively recent label, I'm sure there are lots of people within the area who are unaware of it. It doesn't offend me, I just remind myself that we only have to travel five minutes away from the works to be on beautiful beaches or in stunning countryside. :)
-
Paisley.....Buddies, Peebles...Gutterbluids, Peterhead...Blue Mogganers, Glasgow...Keelies, Dumfries....Doonhamers, Linlithgow...Black Bitches, Fraerburgh...Brochers, Galashiels....Pailmerks,
Falkirk....Bairns, Dumbarton.....Sons of the Rock, Arbroath...Red Lichties, Clydebank...Bankies, Hawick...Teries.
Skoosh.
-
Aberdeen ..... Misers
Regards
Malky
-
My Southport Lancs, ancestors were called "Sandgrounders" - or "Sand-grounders" - the soil is very sandy there, so that seems reasonable. I'd thought Leeds folk were Leodians - wasn't there a Pub at Crossgates called the "Leodis", or similar, in the '60s? Usually the most disparaging names seem to be coined by the next-door community - local rivalries?. In Lancashire I heard the small town of Bacup referred to as: "The last place God made - and he forgot to finish it" when in a nearby town.
Interesting this. I understand that Leodensian wants names from the Western Isles of Europe but I need to remind people that Western Australians are called Sandgropers. I wonder if this was brought to Australia/WA by emigrants
-
When I said "used to be called Sand Grounders", that was because I was recalling what a grandparent called himself and his ancestors, who seem to have been in that area since Noah was a lad. I expect that they still are called that, msr.
TY
-
Some of us born Hampshire Hogs were turned into Dorset Dumplings by the County Boundary changes in 1974.
-
South Shields folk are known as Sanddancers. No one seems to have yet come up with an acceptable reason.
-
Westhoughton, Lancashire, (or any of its inhabitants) is referred to derogatively by Boltonians as "Cay-yed".
The name derives from a story about a Westhoughton farmer who found one of his cows with its head stuck in the woodwork of a new gate.
To resolve the situation, he cut off the animal's head.
Locally, Westhoughton is "Howfen", and an inhabitant a "Howfner".
-
My home town is Portishead, Somerset - locally called "Posset".
So, people from there are Possetonians!
I have never found an explanation as to why the town is called Possett? ;D
I've just come across this thread again and I remembers as a child us bains (Hullensian for children) were given possets when we were poorly. Our mother gave us a hot sweetened milk with the addition of rum. I believe the addition to the milk of any other alcohol with or without spices will do. ::)
-
Other half's father used to quote the "Cow's Yed" story - and he came from that area, so that's a bit of confirmation.
-
People from Tamworth, Staffordshire, are, according to the local paper, called Sandybacks, after the Tamworth pig, a sandy- coloured pig breed, bred by the Peels. (Sir Robert Peel, Prime Minister's family.) However I think this name is fairly recent. Having been brought up in Tamworth I had never heard of it as a child. Tammie is another name.
-
My Dad was born in Morecambe and he always referred to himself or anyone born in Morecambe as Sand Grown 'un's.
Locals used to say it was the Capital of Yorkshire, as there were more Yorkshire people living there than in Yorkshire.
-
Lincolnshire ~ Yellow Bellies. Many theories to that too, one being the yellow waistcoats worn by the Militia but still disputed. Good luck with your book it should be very interesting.
Very much disputed as one myself I understand the derogatory term is comes from Lincolnshire
ag labs being so stupid they cleaned themselves from back to front hence the yellow belly.
-
Redroger I have to admit to not having heard that one . and I'm a yellowbelly too!Thanks for posting it. Sue
-
Sue, Perhaps I come from a rougher background?
-
lol Redroger I doubt it. More likely I didn't learn enough! Sue
-
One or two Lancashire ones.. Heywood... a town between Rochdale and Bury is known as "Monkey town" there are 2 theories:- one is that Noah's ark touched down nearby and some of the apes escaped and interbred with the local inhabitants..as a child I believed that the stools in pubs had holes in so folk could put their tails through.
Another theory is that Irish navvies building the road between Rochdale and Bury , pronounced the name of a hamlet , Heap bridge, as "Ape Bridge".....
Wigan folk are known as "pie eaters"..again various theories...
Bacup is also known as "giddy meadows" and oswaldtwistle as "gobbin land" just to clarify the folk aren't stupid ... http://gobbinland.com/about/?viewport=1458,741,undefined