List of British regional nicknames
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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.
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A - B
[edit]- Aberdeen
- Dorics, Donians or Teuchters. Football team are nicknamed The Dons
- Accrington
- Akkies, Ringpieces (pejorative)
- Arbroath
- Red Lichties or Lichties, Codheids
- Basingstoke
- Amazingstokers, Bas Vegans (after Las Vegas), Basingjokers, Stokie
- Batley
- Batshit Crazies (pejorative)
- Barnoldswick
- Barlickers, Bollockers (pejorative)
- Barnsley
- Barnzolians, Tykes,[1] Colliers (a former mining community), Dingles (pejorative, by people from Sheffield)
- Barrow in Furness
- Barrovians, Shipbuilders, Basras
- Bath
- Bathonians, Tubbies, Spiders (pejorative)
- Belfast
- McCooeys, Dunchers
- Beverley
- Bevsters
- Bingley
- Bingles
- 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]
- Bognor Regis
- Boggers, Bog Buggers (pejorative, alludes to the last words of King George V)
- 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)
- Brierfield
- Pricklies
- Brighton
- Jugs (archaic)[6]
- Brill
- Brillbillies
- Bristol
- Bristolians, Wurzels (pejorative)
- Britain
- Limeys in Canada and the United States[7] : Pommies in Australia and New Zealand[8] : Les Rosbifs in France[9]
- Tommy, Island Monkey in Germany[10]
- 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
[edit]- Caernarfon
- Cofi
- Caithness
- Gallach[11]
- Cambridge
- Fenners, Swamp People
- Cardiff
- Bluebirds, Diffies
- Carlisle
- Carlers, Gypsies
- Ceredigion
- Cardi[12]
- Chatham
- Chavs[13]
- Chester
- Cestrians, Incestrians (pejorative, the etymology is false which derives "incest" from the Latin "In Cestria" meaning "What goes on in Chester")
- Chesterfield
- Spireites, Chessies
- Chichester
- Chis (long i), Chi-chis (pejorative)
- Cleethorpes
- Meggies
- Clitheroe
- Clitherovians, Clit Heroes (pejorative)
- Colchester
- Colchies, Romans, Camuloonies, Steamies, Castlers, Cross 'n' Crowners (after Colchester's coat of arms).
- Colne
- Colons (pejorative if an allusion to the large intestine is intended)
- Corby
- Plastic Jocks (the new town was populated by Scottish immigrants)
- Cornwall
- Kernowicks, Merry-Jacks, Mera-Jacks, Uncle Jacks or Cousin Jacks (when abroad).
- Crawley
- Creepy Crawlies, Insects[14]
- Darlington
- Quakers, Darloids, DCs, Monte Darloes
- Derby
- Bockers, Sheep Shaggers, Rams
- Devon
- Janners
- Dewsbury
- Rag Pickers
- Dingwall
- Gudgies
- Doncaster
- Flatlanders (especially by people from Sheffield), Knights, Doleites
- Dorchester
- Dorchvegasers
- Dorset
- Dorset Knobs (from the famous biscuit), Dumplings
- Dover
- Dovorians, Dovakians (pejorative)
- 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
[edit]- Eastbourne
- Winnicks or Willicks (dialect name of a guillemot or wild person)[15], Coffin Dodgers, Piddlies (pejorative, alludes to the many elderly residents)
- Earby
- Wingnuts (pejorative)
- East Grinstead
- Grinners
- 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,[16] 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,[17] (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)
- Gateshead
- Knockoff Geordies (slightly pejorative, "wrong side of river")
- Glasgow
- Glaswegian, Keelies,[18][19] Weegies[20]
- Glossop
- Hillmen (due to its proximity to the Peak District)
- Gloucester
- Gloucestrians, Glozzies
- Goole
- Goolies
- Grimsby
- Codheads, Haddocks, Grimmies
- Gillingham
- Medwayers, Jills
- Gosport, Hampshire
- Turk Towners
- Great Yarmouth
- Yarcos
- Guisborough
- , Guys, Woollybacks
H - K
[edit]- Hampshire
- Hampshire Hogs, Bacon Faces (reference to Hampshire as a pig-raising county in former times)
- Hartlepool
- Monkey Hangers,[21] Poolies
- Haslingden
- Hasbeens (pejorative)
- Hawick
- Teris
- Haydock
- Yickers
- Heywood
- Monkeys[22]
- 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
- Horsham
- Shams, Whores (pejorative)
- Huddersfield
- Dog Botherers
- Hull
- Codheads, Hully Gullies, 'Ullites
- Inverness
- Sneckies
- Ipswich
- Binners, Tractor Boys, Carrot Crunchers
- Irthlingborough
- Irthlings
- Isle of Wight
- Caulkheads (named after the caulking of boats), Boat People (pejorative, refers to those commuting to the mainland for work)
- Keighley
- Keiths
- Kettering
- Sheep shaggers, Ketteringer pansies
- Kendal
- Kendalians
- Kidderminster
- Kiddy Fiddlers (pejorative)
- Kilbarchan
- Habbie
- Haverfordwest
- Long necks
L
[edit]- Lancashire
- Yonners (specifically south-eastern Lancashire around the Oldham and Rochdale areas)
- Leeds
- Loiners[23]
- 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)[24]
- Leigh
- Leythers, Lobby Gobblers (from lobby)
- Lincolnshire
- Yellow Bellies (after a species of frog common in the Lincolnshire and East Anglian Fens)[25]
- Linlithgow
- Black Bitches, from the burgh coat of arms
- Littleborough
- Little Buggers (not necessarily pejorative)
- Littlehampton
- LA, from the local accent being unable to pronounce the 'h' in Hampton[citation needed]
- Liverpool
- Scousers (from the stew known as scouse),[26][27]
- Plastic Scousers or Plazzies (a person who falsely claims to be from Liverpool),[28]
- Woolybacks or Wools (a person from the surrounding areas of Liverpool, especially St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, or the Wirral)[29][30]
- 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, Looneys, Harpic Dodgers (pejorative, equating the town to a toilet)
M - N
[edit]- Manchester
- Mancs (the shortened version of the demonym Mancunians), Mankys (pejorative)
- Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
- Scabs - offensive, linked to the divisions during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985)[31]
- Malmesbury
- Jackdaws
- Middlesbrough
- Smoggies.[32]
- Montrose
- Gable Endies
- Nantwich
- Dabbers[33]
- Neath
- Abbey-Jacks, Blacks, Blackjacks.
- Nelson
- Smelly Nellies (pejorative)
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Geordies
- Norfolk
- Norfolk Dumplings ("Dumplings being a favourite food in that county")[34], Turkey Botherers
- 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[35]
- Northwich
- Salter Boys[citation needed]
- Norwich
- Canaries, Budgies (the football club colours are green and yellow)
- Nottingham
- Boggers, Scabs (insult; see Mansfield)
- Nuneaton, Warwickshire
- Codders, Treacle Towners[citation needed]
O - R
[edit]- Oldham
- Yonners (from Oldham pronunciation of 'yonder' as in 'up yonner'), Roughyeds, Biffos
- Oswaldtwistle
- Gobbins (but only "above the lamp")[36]
- Paisley
- Buddies,[37]
- Penistone
- Penistoners, Penis Toners (pejorative)
- Peterhead
- Bluemogganers, Blue Tooners
- Petworth
- Muppets (pejorative)
- Plymouth
- Janners. Originally a person who spoke with a Devon accent,[38][39] now simply any West Countryman.[38] In naval slang (where the place is referred to as Guz[40]), this is specifically a person from Plymouth.[39]
- Poole
- Poodles, Poo Stains (pejorative)
- Portsmouth
- Pompey (collective, shared by the city, the naval base and the football club), Skates (pejorative, alluding to frustrated sailors raping skates)
- Ramsbottom
- Woollybums
- Redcar
- Codheads
- Rochdale
- Rochies, Cockroaches (pejorative)
- Rotherham
- Chuckles, Rotherbirds
- Royston, Hertfordshire
- Crows
- Rye
- Mudlarks[41]
S
[edit]- St Helens
- Woollybacks[42], Nellies
- Scarborough
- Algerinos, Bottom-enders (for those born or raised in the old town)
- Scotland
- Scotties, Jocks[43] Macs, Sweaties (offensive; from rhyming slang "Sweaty Sock" for Jock).
- Selkirk
- Souters
- Shavington
- Tramps[citation needed]
- Shaw
- Gorbies
- Sheffield
- Dee Dars, Steelmekkers.[citation needed]
- Sheringham
- Shannock
- Shrewsbury
- Salops (shortened version of the demonym Salopians), Plastic Sheepshaggers (pejorative, "Not in Wales, but might as well be")
- Skelmersdale
- Skemheads, Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
- Skipton
- Skiprats (pejorative)
- Skye
- Sgitheanachs
- Southampton
- Scum(mers)
- South Shields
- Sand Dancers:
- South Wales
- Hwntws (by people from North Wales)
- Southern England
- Southern Fairies, Shandy Drinkers, United Supporters
- Southport
- Sandgrounders, Groundies
- Stalybridge
- Staleys, Stalyvegasers
- Stockport
- Stopfordians (from an old name for Stockport), Hatters
- Stockton on Tees
- Smoggies
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Potters, Clay Heads, Stokies, Jug Heads, Kidsgrove Spiders, Pisspots (pejorative)
- Stranraer
- Cleyholers
- Strood
- Long Tails, Stroodles
- Stroud
- Stroudies
- Sunderland
- Mackems[44]
- Surrey
- Capons
- Sutherland
- Cattach
- Swansea
- Jacks, Swansea Jacks
- Swindon
- Moonrakers, Pighillers (what the name means)
T - V
[edit]- Tarbert, Loch Fyne
- Dookers (named after guillemot and razorbill, sea-birds once a popular food among Tarbert natives)
- Teignmouth
- Muffians
- Telford
- Telfies, Chavs
W
[edit]- Wales
- Taffs [Mid/West Welsh] (sometimes considered offensive),[45] Taffies.[46]
- Wallingford, Oxfordshire
- Wallies
- Walsall
- Saddlers, Wallys (pejorative)
- Warrington
- Wire, Wirepullers (after the local wire industry), [citation needed] Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
- Watford
- Wotsits, Twats (pejorative)
- 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,[47]
- Wiltshire
- Moonrakers
- Wolverhampton
- Yam Yams (from local dialect where people say "Yam" meaning "Yow am" meaning "You are")
- Worthing
- Pork Bolters[41]
- Workington
- Jam Eaters
- Whitby
- Codheads
Y - Z
[edit]See also
[edit]- List of regional nicknames
- Lists of nicknames – nickname list articles on Wikipedia
- Demonym
Citations
[edit]- ^ "tyke", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 674)
- ^ "Brummie", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 95)
- ^ "Wolverhampton researches Black Country dialect". The Guardian. 27 January 2003. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "Man Charged with Having Sex with Horse". Lancashire Telegraph. 9 July 2012.
- ^ "BBC report 2011 Blackpool Councillor Sorry for Donkey Botherer Jibe". Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ Augustus Hare: Sussex 1894 p. 136
- ^ "limey", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 401)
- ^ "pommy", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 506–507)
- ^ "Why do the French call the British 'the roast beefs'?". BBC News Online. 3 April 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ "Few laughs for 'humorous' Kraut". BBC News Online. 24 October 2001. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ Transactions of the Gaelic Society. Gaelic Society of Inverness. 1907. p. 97. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
Gallach caithness.
- ^ "Cardi", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 119)
- ^ Yvette Taylor: Classed Intersections 2016 p. 109
- ^ "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.
- ^ Wales, Tony (2000). Sussex as She Wus Spoke, a Guide to the Sussex Dialect. Seaford: SB Publications. ISBN 978-1-85770-209-5.
- ^ "Sassenach", (Robinson 1985, pp. 581)
- ^ 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.
- ^ Brewer, E. Cobham. "Nicknames". Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. Retrieved 29 September 2010 – via Bartleby.com.
- ^ "keelie", (Robinson 1985, pp. 335)
- ^ Castillo, Michelle (20 August 2009). "Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Glasgow, Scotland". Peter Greenberg Travel Detective. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ "The Hartlepool Monkey, Who hung the monkey?". This is Hartlepool. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ Dawson, Chris. "Hey, Hey, We're Monkey Town". Ten Thousand Years in Monkey Town.
- ^ "Loiner", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 406)
- ^ Evans, Arthur Benoni (1881). Evans, Sebastian (ed.). Leicestershire Words, Phrases, and Proverbs (enlarged ed.). London: N. Trübner for English Dialect Society. p. 101.
- ^ Brewer, E. Cobham. "Yellow-belly". Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. Retrieved 30 September 2010 – via Bartleby.com.
- ^ Fazakerley, p. 24
- ^ "Mickey Mouse" - rhyming slang for "Scouse", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 429)
- ^ "Plastic Scouser". Allwords.com.
- ^ "Woolyback". Slang.org.uk.
- ^ "Woolyback". Allwords.com.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Harley, Shaun (16 July 2007). "I was made in Middlesbrough". BBC News Online. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ White, Jonathan (3 May 2020). "A Dabber Debate - what's your preferred derivation?". Nantwich News. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ Grose. "Dictionary of the vulgar tongue". Words from old books. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ^ "gog", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 295)
- ^ LA Record Vol 100 p. 431
- ^ "Paisley Buddies". Paisley Scotland. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ a b "janner", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 363)
- ^ a b Tawney, Cyril (1987). "Glossary". Grey funnel lines: traditional song & verse of the Royal Navy, 1900–1970. Taylor & Francis. p. 167. ISBN 978-0-7102-1270-2.
- ^ "Plymouth's nickname 'Guz' and the reasons behind it". Plymouth Live. 29 September 2019.
- ^ a b Arscott, David (2006). Wunt Be Druv - A Salute to the Sussex Dialect. Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-006-0.
- ^ "Who are the woollybacks?". St Helens Star. 9 February 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ "jock", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 369)
- ^ "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.
- ^ "taff", (Partridge, Dalzell & Victor 2007, pp. 369)
- ^ Cf. the nursery rhyme "Taffy was a Welshman / Taffy was a thief / Taffy came to my house / To steal a piece of beef."
- ^ Dialect term for "kicker"
References
[edit]- "Liverpudlian". Cambridge Dictionaries Online.
- Fazakerley, Fred (2005) [2001]. Scouse English. London: Abson Books. ISBN 0-902920-94-4.
- Partridge, Eric; Dalzell, Tom; Victor, Terry (2007). The concise new Partridge dictionary of slang and unconventional English. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21259-5.
- Robinson, Mairi (1985). Concise Scots Dictionary. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd. ISBN 1-902930-00-2. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- Ronowicz, Eddie; Yallop, Colin (2006). English: One Language, Different Cultures. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8264-7079-9. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- Pinniped; Mu Beta Beta. "Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire". History. h2g2. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2013.