Liverpool's unique dialect is a core part of its identity, with phrases like telling someone to stop "gegging in" or calling a mate a "wool" over their white socks. While every region has its own sayings, the city's local lingo stands out as truly distinct.
Bringing Scouse back into the spotlight
Liverpool-based TV dramas such as Brookside, The Responder, and This City Is Ours have brought many of these phrases back into the spotlight. However, as generations pass and people relocate, older terms risk fading away entirely.
You might still hear them from Scouse nans and grandads, even if you are left wondering what they mean. We have rounded up some classic sayings that even die-hard Scousers might not recognise.
Classic Scouse insults and farewells
One phrase, "He'd scare," serves as a bulldozer of an insult to someone's appearance. Another, "I wouldn't do that for a big clock," is believed to date back to when large firms would award long-time employees with a large clock as an incentive.
"Cough up, it might be a bus" is used when your nan thinks you are hiding a secret, or you are struggling to find the right word. "He's got a gob like the Mersey Tunnel" is one of the more well-known phrases on this list, meaning the person in question cannot keep their mouth shut when it matters most.
A cryptic farewell and a test of knowledge
"She'd make a glass eye cry" is another insult in a similar vein, targeting how someone looks. "If I don't see you through the week, I'll see you through the window" is a particularly cryptic farewell, essentially meaning that while the person might not see you during the week, they will see you another time.
You can test out your knowledge of these phrases in our quiz below. Let us know how many questions you answered correctly in the comments section.
