Scouse

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Scouse (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell), more formally known as Liverpool English<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref> or Merseyside English,Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref> is an accent and dialect of English associated with the city of Liverpool and the surrounding Merseyside. The Scouse accent is highly distinctive, as it was heavily influenced by Irish and Welsh immigrants who arrived via the Liverpool docks, as well as Scandinavian sailors who also used the docks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="thesundaytimes">Template:Cite news</ref> People from Liverpool are known as Liverpudlians, but also called Scousers; the name comes from scouse, a stew originating from Scandinavian lobscouse eaten by sailors and locals.<ref>Chris Roberts, Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind Rhyme, Thorndike Press, 2006 (Template:ISBN)</ref><ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref name="AC"/><ref>Szlamp, K.: The definition of the word 'Scouser' Template:Webarchive, Oxford English Dictionary</ref>

Liverpool's development since the 1950s has spread the accent into nearby areas such as the towns of Runcorn and Skelmersdale.<ref name="honeybone">Template:Cite web</ref> Variations of Scouse have been noted: the accent of Liverpool's city centre and northern neighbourhoods is usually described as fast, harsh, and nasal,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while the "Beatles-like" accent found in Liverpool's southern suburbs is typically described as slow, soft, and dark.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Popular colloquialisms have shown a growing deviation from the historical Lancashire dialect previously found in Liverpool,<ref name="honeybone"/> as well as a growth in the influence of the accent in the wider area.<ref name="thesundaytimes"/><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Scouse is often considered by other Britons one of the country's least popular accents due to its difficulty, but it also performs very well in polls of British accents that people perceive as happy and friendly.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Etymology

The word Template:Wikt-lang is a shortened form of lobscouse, the origin of which is uncertain.<ref>"lobscouse" at Oxford English Dictionary; retrieved 13 May 2017</ref> It is related to the Norwegian lapskaus, Swedish lapskojs, Danish labskovs (skipperlabskovs), and the Low German labskaus, and refers to a stew of the same name commonly eaten by sailors. In the 19th century, some people in Liverpool, Bootle and ate scouse as it was a cheap dish familiar to the families of seafarers. Media sources call these people "scousers".<ref>"Scouse" at Oxford English Dictionary; retrieved 13 May 2017</ref> In The Lancashire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore, Alan Crosby suggests that the word became known nationwide only with the popularity of the BBC sitcom Till Death Us Do Part (1965Template:Ndash1975), which featured a Liverpudlian socialist and a Cockney conservative in a regular argument.<ref name="AC">Alan Crosby, The Lancashire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore, 2000, entry for word Scouser</ref>

Origins

After the 1700s, Liverpool developed into a major international trading and industrial centre. The city consequently became a melting pot of several accents and dialects as sailors and migrants from different areas (such as Wales and especially Ireland) established themselves in the area. Until the mid-19th century, the dominant local accent was similar to that of neighbouring areas of Lancashire. For instance, the comedian and actor Robb Wilton (1881–1957), despite coming from the Everton district of Liverpool, spoke with a dry Lancashire accent rather than a Scouse accent.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Better source needed

The influence of immigrants from Ireland (especially Dublin) and Northern Wales, as well as visiting Scandinavian sailors, contributed to a distinctive local Liverpool accent.<ref>Paul Coslett, The origins of Scouse, BBC Liverpool, 11 January 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2015</ref><ref>The Vauxhall and other dockland areas of the city, in particular, retained a strong Irish character that set them apart culturally from other areas. Peter Grant, The Scouse accent: Dey talk like dat, don't dey?, Liverpool Daily Post, 9 August 2008. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.</ref> The first reference to a distinctive Liverpool accent was in 1890. Linguist Gerald Knowles suggested that the accent's nasal quality may have derived from poor public health in the 19th century, by which the prevalence of colds among many people over a long time resulted in a nasal accent coming to be regarded as the norm and copied by newer incomers learning the dialect of the local area.<ref>Scouse: the accent that defined an era, Times Higher Education, 29 June 2007.</ref>

Academic research

The Victorian phonetician Alexander John Ellis said that Liverpool and Birkenhead "had no dialect proper", as he conceived of dialects as speech that had been passed down through generations from the earliest English speakers. Ellis did research some locations on the Wirral, but these respondents spoke in the traditional Cheshire dialect at the time and not in Scouse.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> The 1950s Survey of English Dialects recorded traditional Lancastrian dialect from the town of Halewood, finding no trace of Scouse influence. The phonetician John C. Wells wrote that "the Scouse accent might as well not exist" in The Linguistic Atlas of England, which was the Survey's principal output.<ref>Review of the Linguistic Atlas of England, John C. Wells, The Times Higher Education Supplement, 1 December 1978</ref>

An academic study of Scouse was undertaken by Gerald Knowles at the University of Leeds in 1973. He identified a key problem: that traditional dialect research had focused on developments from a single proto-language, but Scouse (and many other urban dialects) had resulted from interactions between an unknown number of languages.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref>

Phonology

Template:IPA notice The phonemic notation used in this article is based on the set of symbols used by Template:Harvcoltxt.

Vowels

File:Scouse monophthongs chart.svg
Monophthongs of Scouse (from Template:Harvcoltxt). Template:IPA and Template:IPA show considerable allophonic variation.Template:Sfnp
File:Scouse diphthongs chart - part 1.svg
Diphthongs of Scouse (part 1, from Template:Harvcoltxt)
File:Scouse diphthongs chart - part 2.svg
Diphthongs of Scouse (part 2, from Template:Harvcoltxt). Template:IPA shows considerable allophonic variation.Template:Sfnp
Vowels of ScouseTemplate:Sfnp
Front Central Back
Short Long Short Long Short Long
Close Template:IPA link Template:IPA link Template:IPA link Template:IPA link
Mid Template:IPA link Template:IPA link Template:IPA link Template:IPA link
Open Template:IPA link Template:IPA link Template:IPA link
Diphthongs Template:IPA

Consonants

Liaison in Scouse

In Scouse, liaison refers to the interaction between word-final and word-initial sounds across word boundaries. A number of distinct liaison types can be observed, particularly involving stops and glottal or fricative realisations.

Stop preservation liaison

Word-final voiceless stops /p/, /t/, and /k/ typically undergo lenition in isolation or before consonants, but are often re-strengthened or fully re-articulated when the following word begins with a vowel.

  • /p/: stop it → [stɔh.pɪʔ]
  • /t/: get it → [gɛh.tɪʔ]
  • /k/: pick it → [pɪx.kɪʔ]

Glottal to oral restoration

Stops realised as glottalised variants (such as [ʔ]) in final position may be restored to oral plosives when followed by vowel-initial words.

  • get up → [gɛt̚.ʊp]
  • pick out → [pɪk.aʊʔ]

H-bleed or H-insertion

A voiceless or voiced [h]-like segment may surface at the boundary between words, especially before a re-strengthened consonant.

  • stop it → [stɔh.pɪʔ]
  • shut it → [ʃʊh.tɪʔ]

Consonant duplication or echo

In certain cases, particularly with /k/, a duplicated consonant or an echo effect may occur at the word boundary.

  • pick it up → [pɪx.kɪ.ʊp]

Liaison blockage with non-vowel onsets

When the following word does not begin with a vowel, final consonants remain lenited or are not fully restored.

  • pick that → [pɪh.ðaʔ]

These liaison effects in Scouse are documented in linguistic studies that describe how stop lenition, glottalisation, and boundary conditions affect the realisation of consonants across word boundaries. In particular, stops such as /t/ and /k/, which are often lenited or glottalised in final position, are frequently re-articulated or reinforced when the following word begins with a vowel.<ref>Watson, Kevin (2007). "Liverpool English". In David Britain (ed.), Language in the British Isles, pp. 160–176. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref> Honeybone (2001) discusses how lenition is often inhibited at prosodic boundaries, allowing underlying stops to resurface in contexts like vowel-initial liaison.<ref>Honeybone, Patrick (2001). "Lenition Inhibition in Liverpool English". Lingua 111(3): 191–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-3841(00)00032-5</ref> Further discussion of glottalisation, stop preservation, and linking phenomena in Liverpool English is also provided in Clark, Watson, and Honeybone (2013).<ref>Clark, Lynn; Watson, Kevin; and Honeybone, Patrick (2013). "Phonological variation in British English: Glottalisation and linking phenomena". In Penelope Eckert & John R. Rickford (eds.), The Handbook of Sociolinguistic Variation. Wiley-Blackwell.</ref>

Scouse vocabulary

Scouse vocabulary reflects influences from Irish, Norse, Welsh and maritime speech, and includes many unique slang terms.

Common words and phrases

Word Part of speech Meaning Example sentence
Boss adj. excellent, brilliant “That film was boss, la!”<ref>The Liverpudlian: “Bevvy And Boss To Baltic…”</ref>
Sound adj. good, reliable “Yeah, sound mate.”<ref name="lingopie">Lingopie: “Boss… Scouse slang”</ref>
Scran noun food “Let’s get some scran.”<ref name="lingopie"/>
Bevvy noun alcoholic drink “Fancy a bevvy?”<ref name="lingopie"/>
Jarg adj. fake, counterfeit “That phone’s jarg.”<ref name="lingopie"/>
Wool noun non‑Scouser (especially from nearby towns) “He’s a wool.”<ref name="lingopie"/>
Baltic adj. very cold “It’s baltic today.”<ref name="lingopie"/>
Ozzy noun hospital “She’s in the ozzy.”<ref name="signaturesliverpool">Signature Liverpool: “The Ozzy”</ref>
Devoed adj. devastated, disappointed “I’m proper devoed.”<ref name="liverpoolinsider">Liverpool Insider: “Devoed”</ref>
Tracky noun tracksuit “In me trackies.”<ref name="liverpoolinsider"/>
Scally noun mischievous youth “Watch out for scallies.”<ref name="liverpoolinsider"/>
Kecks noun trousers “Nice new kecks!”<ref name="signaturesliverpool"/>
Giz verb give (me/us) “Giz a look at that.”<ref name="liverpoolinsider"/>
Angin adj. disgusting “That smell’s proper angin’.”<ref name="liverpoolinsider"/>
Plazzy adj. fake, showy “He’s plazzy.”<ref name="liverpoolinsider"/>
Made up adj. very pleased “I’m made up.”<ref name="Made Up">HelloRayo: “Made Up”</ref>
G’wed interj. go ahead, carry on “G’wed lad!”<ref name="signaturesliverpool"/>
Lid noun mate, dude “Alright, lid?”<ref name="signaturesliverpool"/>
Bifter noun cigarette/joint “Giz a bifter.”<ref name="signaturesliverpool"/>
Clobber noun clothes “Where’s your clobber from?”<ref name="lingopie"/>
Chocka adj. very full “The pub’s chocka.”<ref name="signaturesliverpool"/>
Queen noun woman, girlfriend “She’s a proper queen.”<ref>Secret Liverpool: “Queen”</ref>

<ref>The Liverpudlian. “Scouse Slang: A List Of 18 Essential Scouse Slang Words & Phrases...” (2023)</ref> <ref>Lingopie. “17 Scouse Slang You Hear on TV” (2025)</ref> <ref name="helloRayo">HelloRayo. “20 words you'll only understand if you speak 'scouse'” (2024)</ref> <ref>Signature Liverpool. “35+ Boss Scouse Slang Phrases...”</ref> <ref>Liverpool Insider. “20 Scouse Slang Words You Need To Know” (2024)</ref> <ref>Secret Liverpool. “11 Words And Phrases That Mean Something Very Different In Liverpool” (2025)</ref>

Grammar notes

Scouse often features double negatives and Irish-influenced constructions:

  • “I haven’t got none.”
  • “I’m after getting it.”<ref name="Made Up"/>

See also

References

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Further reading

  • Crowley, Tony. Scouse: A Social and Cultural History (Liverpool University Press)
  • Shaw, Frank & Kelly‑Bootle, Stan. How to Talk Proper in Liverpool (Lern Yerself Scouse). Scouse Press

International recognition

Template:Category see also Scouse is highly distinguishable from other English dialects. Because of this international recognition, Keith Szlamp made a request to IANA on 16 September 1996 to make it a recognised Internet dialect.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After citing a number of references,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Szlamp, K.: The definition of the word 'Scouser' Template:Webarchive, Oxford English Dictionary</ref> the application was accepted on 25 May 2000 and now allows Internet documents that use the dialect to be categorised as Scouse by using the language tag "en-Scouse".

Scouse has also become well-known globally as the accent of the Beatles.<ref name="Beatles-change-Scouse">Template:Cite web</ref> While the members of the band are famously from Liverpool,<ref>Template:AllMusic</ref> their accents have more in common with the older Lancashire-like Liverpool dialect found in the southern suburbs; the accent has evolved into Scouse since the 1960s.

The four Gospels of the New Testament have been published as The Gospels in Scouse. This was translated by Dick Williams and Frank Shaw.<ref>Williams, Dick and Frank Shaw. The Gospels in Scouse. The White Lion Publishers; Revised edition.</ref>

See also

Other northern English dialects include:

References

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Bibliography

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Further reading

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Template:Liverpool related articles Template:English dialects by continent