Meryseyside Slang: A List Of Scouse Slang Words & Phrases Used In The Liverpool City Region

A List Of Scouse Slang Words That You Will Hear When You Visit Liverpool - From 'Boss' And 'Bevvy', To 'Wool' And 'Clobber'

The world-famous Royal Liver Building in Liverpool (Credit: The Liverpudlian).

Scouse is the nickname of the Liverpudlian dialect and accent native to locals of the Merseyside. However, if you are just moving to the City you will definitely want a list of Liverpudlian slang words you can reference when you hear some of your friends speak.

12 Scouse Slang Words & Phrases:

1. 'Boss' - Liverpool's almost emblematic slang word that most people will know about before visiting the City. Saying something is 'Boss' means that it is brilliant or excellent. E.g. 'Mate, I can't believe you got the job! Well in. That's boss, that is.'

2. 'Sound' - This an agreeable word meaning good or great. E.g. "Yeah that's sound mate, I'll see you there."

3. 'Clobber' - This term means clothes. E.g. 'I need to get some new clobber.'

4. 'Smashing it' - A phrase used when you are doing really well. It is a phrase that is used to express delight when someone is succeeding at something that they want to achieve. Eg. 'She's absolutely smashing it with her exams.'

5. 'Wool' - A tongue-in-cheek term used by some people in the City of Liverpool to refer to people from the surrounding Boroughs such as the Wirral or Sefton. This is a term used to say that someone is not actually from the City of Liverpool itself but the surrounding areas that are not within the City Limits. E.g. 'He's not from Liverpool, he's a wool from the Wirral.'

6. 'Ta-ra' - This is a way of saying goodbye which has been influenced by the speakers of the Welsh language due to the fact that 'Ta-ra' is the Welsh word for 'Goodbye'. E.g. 'Ta-ra mate, see you later.'

7. 'Bevvied' - This means drunk. E.g. 'He was well bevvied last night, he could hardly stand up straight.'

8. 'Lad' - Whilst this term is not exclusive to Liverpool, it is a word that is used as a way to almost punctuate sentences. E.g. 'I'ya lad, how are we?'

9. 'Sound as a pound' - This means something is great and can be used as a term of agreement. E.g. 'Sound as a pound, I'll see you then.'

10. 'Jarg' - This means that something is fake or broken. E.g.'I don't know why my phone is acting all jarg, I'll reset it and see if that does the trick.'

11. 'Woolyback' - This is very similar to the meaning of calling someone a 'wool', as it is just the longer word for the slang term. You would call someone a 'woolyback' if you are wanting to remind them that they are not from the City of Liverpool, but rather the surrounding areas. It is worth noting that depending on its use, this can be an insulting term. E.g. 'He's not from Liverpool, he's a woolyback from the Wirral.'

12. 'Antwacky' - This means that something is old-fashioned or percieved to be out of date. E.g. 'That vintage shop on Bold Street sells some proper antwacky clothes you know'

Regardless of if you are moving to Liverpool for work, to study or just feel like relocating to a new city, this quick guide will help you get on your way with some of the local slang terms used in the Liverpool City Region.