Why are people from __ called ___?

[california dreamin]

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

[Redroger]

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.

[Redroger]

In Sheffield Sachin Tendulkar would be known as 't little mester!

[arthurk]

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

[PGC1962]

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.

[Maggie.]

'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

[jinks]

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'

[Leodensian]

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 ...

[KGarrad]

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?