So, you’re at university in the fabulous city of Liverpool, and along with its beautiful architecture, musical history and universally known football teams live the archetype of Liverpool dwellers – the Scousers. With an accent formed from years of immigrants planting their homes firmly in the dock city, a few sayings have become standard – ones all ‘wools’ and ‘others’ will need to know in order to get by.
(1) ‘Lad, hun, babe, kid, love’
Scousers love to give out nicknames, particularly for women – bird, queen, prin, me bird, alrigh’ queen.
(2) ‘Did you s**t the bed?’
This is said when you get up early – or, for us students, before noon.
(3) ‘Any chance of a ciggy?’
No-one in Liverpool says cigarette – it’s a ciggy or it’s nothing.
(4) ‘Fancy a bevvy?’
Bevvy is drink and boy, do Scousers love a good drink. There are loads of pubs and clubs you will find in your time at Liverpool. You’ll have to go to some historic pubs like The Philharmonic on Hope Street (aka The Phil), The Pilgrim on Pilgrim Street and The Fly In The Loaf on Hardman Street, to name a few.
(5) ‘Did you have any duff?’
Duff is dessert, guys… when I first heard it I assumed it was something to do with being ‘up the duff’ and was extremely shocked and assumed everyone was calling me fat. Also, they don’t say ice lolly, it’s a ‘lolly ice’ – and don’t laugh: no-one knows why that is.
(6) ‘Go ‘ed, boss, sound, well in’
These mean good and are sayings used to express the positives to things: ‘That’s boss that, lad.’
(7) ‘Proper gutted/devoed’
These are said when a Scouser is upset, feeling down or the Reds just lost.
(8) ‘Plazzy Scousers’
These are people from the Wirral, Kirkby or anywhere close to Liverpool but NOT in Liverpool. Be warned: a Scouser is from Liverpool and Liverpool alone.
(9) ‘Me nan made me some proper boss scran for tea’
‘Scran’ is food, the evening meal is ‘tea’ and breakfast is ‘brekkie’. ‘Nan’ can be mum as well as grandmother.
(10) ‘Going the ozzy’
This is important, as ozzy means hospital – so if anyone asks you to help them to the ozzy, it’s good to know what that is. You’d be fairly upset with yourself if you thought it was something about Ozzy Osbourne and heavy metal.
