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. The development of Liverpool since the 1950s has spread the accent into nearby areas such as the towns of Runcorn and Skelmersdale.
The term scouse refers to Liverpool English. An inhabitant of Liverpool is a Liverpudlian or Scouse(r) The Scouse accent is well-know throughout Britain and the world mainly due to the Beatles and other Liverool pop groups and singers from the 60s.
Scouse (/skaʊs/; sometimes called Liverpool English or Merseyside English) is an accent and dialect of English beginning in the northwest county of Merseyside. It originated mostly from Irish (from the Irish Potato Famine) and Welsh immigrants.
Scouse (lobskause) was brought to the city by sailors from Scandinavia. People outside of Liverpool when visiting sampled and enjoyed the dish that it was vary popular in and outside of Liverpool so much so that outsiders nicknamed the people of Liverpool scousers after the dish.
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Why are people from Liverpool called scousers? Is it an insulting term or do Liverpudlians refer to themselves as scousers
Natasha, Sydney, Australia
Scouse was a stew usually made from ship's biscuit and fish frequently eaten by sailors. I'm not sure why the term stuck with Liverpool and not other ports, maybe it was particularily popular in Liverpool.
Fergus McGee, Dublin, Ireland
The traditional explanation is that scouse is a contraction of 'lobscouse', which was a type of stew (Norwegian in origin), once popular among sailors, and is still eaten in Liverpool today.
As to whether it's insulting, you could call me paranoid, but any mention of my home town seems intended as an insult these days. People from Liverpool do call themselves Scousers though.
If, like me, you come from the blue half of town you don't refer to yourself as a Liverpudlian (which carries an entirely different connotation).
Leo Hickey, Barking, Essex
The nickname is said to derive from the name of the traditional dish 'lobscouse', a sort of stew, which was/is eaten round there. Compare this with the German 'Labskaus', and Welsh 'lobsgows', both approximately similar dishes.
Dominic Watt, Department of Linguistics & Phonetics, University of Leeds
It comes from 'lobscouse' which was a dish eaten in those parts, made with hard tack and bully beef. It was a traditional seaman's dish which may be of Viking origin. Labscaus is still a great speciality in Hamburg. It is made with corned beef, onions, beetroot and mashed potatoes and flavoured with a pinch of cumin and served with a fried egg on top. A version of this dish is also made in Denmark where herring is added. Delicious.
M Newman, Brussels Belgium
Scousers are named after a once-popular working-class dish of meat (if you were lucky) and veg stew, called scouse (without the meat, it's called blind scouse). It tastes great and my dad still makes a fine pan. No, it is not an insulting term and yes, Liverpudlians refer to themselves by this term, although less so these days.
Allan Morton, Bangkok, Thailand
Scouse is like Irish stew, but usually made with beef instead of lamb. I don''t find the term "Scouser" insulting, and I have never heard another Liverpudlian take offence.
Diane Roscoe, Liverpool, UK
There is a Norwegian dish "lapskaus", to my mind a variant if not not the predecessor of Irish Stew. More interestingly there is an area of Oslo called if I remember right, Skaus corner. Any connection?
Kevin Wooldridge, Lowestoft, UK
As to the various explanations of "lapskaus" above, I would like to add that this is a Norwegian dish (dinner) consisting of potatoes, meat (pork or beef), carrots, leeks, all cubed and stewed until tender, and sprinkled with parsley when served. Traditionally, crisp, thin pieces of flatbread and a glass of cold milk is served with it.
As to the question whether "Skaus" in Oslo is in any way connected to the dish, I don't think that is the case. The place referred to is rightly spelled "Schous Corner", and alludes to the former brewery Schous which was situated nearby. The place retains the name, and is I'm afraid a rather run down pub often frequented by the less fortunate beer drinkers in Oslo.
Eli Wongraven, Oslo, Norway
I have heard many times that we (people from Liverpool) are called scousers because of a lamb stew was eaten by sailors all over the world. When their ships sailed into Liverpool docks. As for being insulted by being called a scouser it has never bothered me and I am PROUD to be a scouser.
Scouse not English: Why is Liverpool different from the rest of England?
Why do Liverpool fans boo the national anthem? Where does the Scouse accent come from? Why are people from Liverpool called “Scousers”? And why do some people from Liverpool say they are Scouse, not English?
Liverpool has a distinct identity, and many Scousers who live there identify more with the city than the rest of the country. Liverpool football fans have even been known to boo the British national anthem at football games. We travelled to Liverpool to find out where the tension between Liverpool and the rest of England comes from.
Frank Carlyle, a historian and lecturer from Liverpool, explained his take on the phrase “Scouse not English”, walking us through the Liverpool general transport strike of 1911, to the Thatcher years, to the Hillsborough disaster. He also reveals where the Scouse accent came from, and why people from Liverpool are called “Scouse”.
In the 1900s, the Liverpool general transport strike saw tension between Liverpool and the rest of England reach a boiling point. In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government wanted to pursue a strategy of managed decline in Liverpool, AKA strategic abandonment. In 1989, in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, much of the English press and the emergency services deflected the blame for the disaster onto Liverpool fans themselves. As a result, the Sun newspaper is banned in Liverpool. Did these key events push Liverpool away from the rest of England?
As a bustling port city, Liverpool was once considered “the second city of the empire”. As the British Empire declined, so did Liverpool’s importance as a port. Nowadays, Liverpool is often unfairly looked down upon by other parts of England. So how did Liverpool go from being the second city of the Empire, to one that is so often looked down upon today, where some of its residence prefer to identify as Scouse, not English?
00:00-01:13 – Scouse not English: Introduction
01:13-03:23 – What do Locals think Makes Liverpool Unique?
03:24-04:35 – Why are Scousers called Scousers?
04:36-05:29 – Where does the Scouse Accent come from?
05:30-06:51 – Liverpool’s Bad Reputation
06:52-08:03 – Liverpool: The Capital of North Wales?
08:04-09:46 – Liverpool’s 1911 General Strike
09:47-11:55 – Margaret Thatcher and Liverpool’s Managed Decline
11:56-16:18 – The Hillsborough Disaster
16:19-18:33 – Liverpool Deserves Better
Welcome to Liverpool! One of the most fun cities I have been to in quite some time. The Scousers or Liverpudlians if you prefer were incredible, the food was good, and there were some great sights to see in Liverpool, but I need to give you the best tourist information on Liverpool to get you ready for a visit so we have the do’s and don’ts of visiting Liverpool. What not to do in Liverpool.
Liverpool local people teach me Liverpool words and phrases called Scouse! Hope this video would help you understand what Scousers say in Liverpool!
asking scouse people what they think of the rest of the country, then asking if they are scouse, english, or both
Get captivated by the unique Scouse accent and delve into the diverse world of British accents. Learn the meanings of key phrases like ‘bevvy’, ‘boss tha’, and ‘chocca’, and discover what makes this British dialect stand out. How hard would it be for Vladimir to pass himself off as a real Scouser? Find out if he could successfully convince a real Liverpudlian that he’s no wool!
From pronunciation challenges to real-life vocabulary, our video comprehensively examines the Scouse accent. Whether you’re a linguistics enthusiast or looking to expand your British accent mastery, this tutorial will help you understand Liverpool’s linguistic identity.
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