Through generations, there have been plenty of words, phrases and pronunciations that might not mean much to many - but for those who grew up in Liverpool, they are easily understood.
Some may be more recognisable, whereas others have been bound to certain generations or areas of the region or showcase our northern roots. Whether these were said by your ancestors or close family, there are some words we still say ourselves or others that have been lost through the years.
World-renowned language expert Professor David Crystal has written more than 100 books and presented countless TV programmes on the subject of everyday words. An old boy of St Mary’s College in Crosby, the professor previously said what fascinates him most is whether some of the old dialect being used in and around Liverpool a century ago is still around today, the Liverpool ECHO previously reported.
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Professor Crystal said: "The thing that interests me about the dialect of Liverpool is its mixture of ancient and modern, and its unpredictable nature. We find very old words like wacker, many reflect an Irish origin, then we have very modern words like made-up."
Here, we take a look at a number of 'lost' Liverpool words that you may or may not have heard, as well as their origins. This list isn't intended to be comprehensive, we selected a number of sayings previously reported that readers may or may not have heard. But if there are any you feel we should have included, let us know in the comments section.
Judy
Judy – meaning girlfriend. Recorded in Ireland in 1781 and in Liverpool around 30 years later.
Tiddy
An onomatopoeic word meaning very small, recorded since 1781, surfaced in 1963 in Liverpool as diddy - thanks to Ken Dodd.
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Made-up
Meaning thrilled or delighted. First recorded in 1946.
Kop
Named after the Boer War battlefield, first use recorded in 1926.
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Saggin’ or saggin’ off
Originally a nautical term, recorded since the 17th century. A ship that’s sagging is drifting to leeward, leaving its intended course – hence ‘sagging off school’.
Wacker
First recorded 1768, no reports of the shortened form wack until the 1960s.
Do you recognise any of these words? Let us know in the comments section below.
Scally
Anything from a self-assured male to a petty criminal. Derived from scallywag, and not recorded in writing before 1986.
Dicky or Dicky Sam
Someone from Liverpool - first recorded in the 19th century. Probably a shortened form of Dick o’Sams.
Mary Ellen
A woman working as a market trader, recorded since 1945. The name was often used in folk songs, but who the original Mary Ellen was isn’t known.
Twazzy
To be discussed in the lecture - or maybe you already know?
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Ollies
Marbles - a total mystery where this word came from. Possibly an adaptation from the verb to roll (rollies) with a shift in pronunciation.
Jigger
A back entry or alley, recorded since 1902 . The word jig was often used to refer to something small or narrow, and it developed several slang uses, such as a narrow door, a prison cell, an illegal distillery, and (as in Liverpool) a narrow passageway.
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