Signatures Liverpool Liverpool News and Events
Liverpool is renowned for a lot of things; its amazing docklands, being the home of The Beatles and being the capital of Curly Blows but how much scouse slang do you know?
If you’ve been in Liverpool for any amount of time, you’ll know a few of these phrases but have you ever been in The Asda and heard the women in front talking about jibbing off their boyfriend and wondered what the hell was going on? Allow us to educate you on some of that Liverpool slang.
Table of Contents
Scouse Sayings – Scouse Slang Words:
#1 Sound
Definition: cool or good
Use: How you doin’ lad? Yeah sound mate
#2 Arl arse
Definition: cruel
Use: Stop being an arl arse.
#3 Arl Fella
Definition: father
Use: I’m going for a bevvy with me arl fella.
#4 Wool
Definition: Someone who’s from the surrounding areas of Liverpool such as the Wirral or St Helens.
Use: He likes to pretend he’s from Liverpool, but he’s from the Wirral the wool.
#5 G’wed
Definition: Go ahead
Use: G’wed, lad. Nice one.
#6 The Asda
Definition: Asda
Use: I’m going the Asda for some bifters.
#7 Lid
Definition: Lad
Use: I’m going the Asda, lid.
#8 Boss
Definition: Incredibly Awesome
Use: They’re some boss webs, la.
#9 Offie
Definition: off-licence
Use: I’m not going the Asda when there’s an offie down the road.
#10 Antwacky
Definition: Old fashioned
Use: Me arl fella’s house is pure antwacky.
#11 Bifter
Definition: Cigarettes/joint
Use: Gis one of those bifters so I don’t have to go the offie.
#12 Trabs
Definition: Trainers
Use: Lad, don’t be an arl arse and borrow us ya trabs.
#13 Scran
Definition: Food
Use: Me Ma’s making me a proper scran tonight lad
#14 Abar
Definition: About
Use: What you on abar, you wool.
#15 The Ozzy
Definition: The Hospital
Use: If I eat any more scran I’ll end up in the ozzy.
#16 Bizzies
Definition: The Police
Use: You seen all the bizzies outside the offie?
#17 La
Definition: Lad
Use: In a bit, la.
#18 Blert
Definition: Idiot
Use: Don’t be a blert and give us a lift to town.
#19 Webs
Definition: Trainers
Use: Ay La, those webs are boss.
#20 Cob on
Definition: Bad mood
Use: He’s got a cob on abar the match, lad.
#21 Jibbed
Definition: stood up/dumped
Use: If he says me arl fella’s house is antwacky one more time he’s getting jibbed
#22 Jarg
Definition: Fake
Use: They’re some jarg trabs them
#23 Kecks
Definition: pants or trousers
Use: I’ve only gone and ripped me kecks, lad.
#24 Sagging off
Definition: Not going to school
Use: Me ma won’t let me out because I was sagging off.
#25 Keep Dixie
Definition: Keeping a look out
Use: You keep dixie while I run into the offie for some bifters.
#26 Judy
Definition: Girlfriend
Use: Me Judy cooks an blindin’ Scouse
#27 Geggin’ in
Definition: Being nosey
Use: Eee, stop geggin’ in.
#28 Show
Definition: Mess
Use: Her curly blow looks an absolute show
#29 In bulk
Definition: Laughing hard
Use: Am not even messing, he had me in bulk.
#30 Bins
Definition: Glasses
Use: You seen her bins, they look a show.
#31 Meff
Definition: It’s an insult but not completely offensive, a dismissive term meaning an idiot or someone stupid.
Use: Ignore him lad, he’s just being a proper meff.
#32 Eee
Definition: An expression of disgust or disapproval
Use: Eee look at her pants
#33 Bevy
Definition: alcoholic drink
Use: You coming for a bevvy after work girl
#34 Baltic
Definition: Freezing
Use: It’s absolutely Baltic in here
#35 Made Up
Definition: Happy
Use: Got a new job, I’m absolutely made up
#36 West
Definition: Crazy or weird
Use: Lad, last night was proper west ya’no
#37 Ice Lolly
Definition: Scouse for an ice lolly
Use: I’m absolutely roasting, could do with a lolly ice
#38 Heavy Salad
Definition: That’s bad news/ that’s unfortunate
Use: “me Judy just left me” “that’s heavy salad la”
#39 Brassic
Definition: Out of pocket
Use: can’t go for a bevy tonight la am brassic
#40 Is right
Definition: You are correct/ that is deserved
Use: “i’ll get the bevies in” “is right la”
#41 Swerve
Definition: Do not attend or avoid
Use: Swerve that meeting later let’s go get some scran.
#42 Beut
Definition: Fool
Use: What a beut!
#43 Come ‘ed
Definition: Let’s go/come along
Use: Come ‘ed lets jib this beut off
#44 Barnet
Definition: Hair do
Use: Haha get on to her barnet it’s a show!
#45 Grid
Definition: Face
Use: What’s up with your grid?
#46 Arr Ay
Definition: Why did you do that/ I can’t believe you just did that
Use: Arr Ay that’s arl arse that!
#47 Bladdered
Definition: Drunk beyond comprehension
Use: He’s bladdered come ‘ed we best swerve the next bar
If you think we’ve missed anything let us know by commenting below. We’d love to hear more of your great scouse words.
I live in Liverpool and there is one phrase i hear alot “givin it toes” or “give it toes”
definition run fast or running fast
in a sentence “go down the Asda lad and give it toes”
I’ve lived in Liverpool for about 8 years and I think what that means is ‘Go down the Asda lad and give it to us’ meaning ‘go to Asda and get …. for me’ – Maybe?
No…. it definitely means “quickly”.
“Running away” can be giving it toes.
If you ask someone else to ‘give it toes’ it means “hurry up – make it fast”..
Deffo means run fast an now.. lad we at 2 get on r toes last night the bizzies scattered us…
They might be saying Give it loads
Definitely give it toes. Definitely means running fast. In that circumstance I like to use “BAIL!”
I’ve lived in Liverpool all my life (68yrs) and never heard anyone say ” Give it toes”
Must be a new one!
The baggy meaning the launderette.
I’m going the baggy.
Julie
Home and bargain
Yeah that’s Deffo one!
Is Right! = I agree totally
Come on guys, how about
brewstered,
Meaning wealthy, from the film brewsters millions,
And minge bag, meaning tight with money,
And compo, the money you receive after having an accident or insurance claim.
Eg. Come on minge bag, go to the bar, we know you are brewstered since you got your compo, stop being a complete arl arse.
How about brassic (no money left)?
That actually comes from Cockney rhyming slang. Boracic lint – skint 🙂
Brassic, short for boracic lint, rhymes with skint. “Can I cadge a lady Godiva, am brassic!”
“Leg it” run away
“On his toes” gone missing
“This avy” this afternoon
“Givin it toes” is to run
Never heard of “abar” though. I’m from Liverpool and it sounds a bit Lancashire. Maybe “abou” coz we never finish our words !!!
“Abar” is standard scouse…..
I must have heard it abar a billion times…..
Abar is proper common in Liverpool not “abou” swerve that like
Ha swerve… Another good’un
“Abou”??? Proper wool jangle that lad.
It’s said “this savy
Get on tha lid it’s proper sick init.. meaning,,look at that kid (aka lad) isn’t that boss.
What time you coming round lad? Abar 4 bells sons. Typical scouse sentence
No no, it’s abar but it’s more like “I’m abar ‘alf an hour away.”
One or two to rembeemr, that is.
You are so awesome for helping me solve this mysrety.
YE NO WARA A MEEN COMES TO MIND. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, YOU UNDERSTAND DONT YOU.
Heavy
Means that it is funny but bad at the same time
Sentence: thats so heavy tha lad
Arl arse means ‘sly’ not ‘cruel’!
Agree
Turn it in!!!! – stop it
Meff is normally a scruff not an idiot. An idiot would be a div or divvy, although not sure if it’s just a scouse saying.
Agreed.
I agree meff is a scruff..
Meff is a scruff, Such as look at her in a PJ’s, as she go no cloths to wear the Meff.
A Meff is a tramp what drinks methalated spirit, hence MEFF
Swerve it Lid and bail, me heads chocka.
‘Judy’ is old school, you’d hear ‘Bird’, more.
Tart is an old school, as is bint.
“Dead” meaning really and very. Use ” I’m dead made up”.
I’ve also heard “geg” used as an alternative to “leave” Eg. I’m gegging – I’m leaving. And there’s also “Do one” – an instruction to someone else to leave, as in “Do one, you meff” – meaning “go away, you scruff/idiot/scruffy idiot” take your pick.
But the best is “dead” meaning “very” Eg “dead good”, meaning “very good” . Dead dead means very dead.
Minty meaning dirty, scruffy.
BANG ON OR ON TOP- The wanna see how many bizzys are there its bang on/on top.
Ive been here 7 years now and there’ are some on that list we use down south too like bevy, baltic, bifter and offie. some I’ve never heard anyone say yet and some that aren’t on there.
‘I’ll tell ya now’
Actually means ‘I’ll tell you when I’m finished what I’m doing’
‘Our’ referring to a member of the family as in ‘our ma, our Sarah’ etc
‘Beaut’…down south this means a beautiful person, up here it quite simply means a dickhead lol
Everything gets shortened too! Leccy for electric, lemo for lemonade, maccies for McDonald’s.
Beut is both. Depends what sentence or way you use it. as you know, there is around he’s a Beut him.
Where as you have for instance.
My friend got a new motorcycle so I would say.
Ar lad belta, she’s a Beut.
Hank marvin =starvin
MINGIN! meaning its horrible. That top is mingin. (That top is horrible/ugly).
Connie onnie is condensed Milk.
Leccy means electric.
Come Edd means Come on.
Smart arsse. Meaning know all.
The Jigger…alleyway / entry between houses or streets.
Give it loads…means give your all.
Giz a brew eg give me a brew although my friend who is common as muck says j’brew(like jabrew )maybe just a kirkby lala thing Haha
kirkby Haha kirkby sock robbers. The pigs meaning the police the matrix is also another word for the police lol
If yer ‘aven’t Gorran perple wheelie bin, yer a wool.
No4 wool is actually short for woolly back, anyone from surrounding areas of Liverpool,
True, I’m a woolly back from Prescot.
The one I use that everyone laughs at
The kip of me Barnet need to get it sorted this week!
What about ‘erm’ said when thinking or generally between every sentence when you take a breath
What about -the jigger= the back entry, a jigger rabbit = a cat . A rumble up the jowley= a fight.
Grid meaning face as in ” look at the grid on her la ! ”
Bifters could also be ” givin’ it the bifters ” which means doing something vigorously .
And don’t forget bellend meaning stupid as in “turn the sounds down ya bellend ! ”
And while we’re on the subject of swearing is fuckwit a purely scouse saying or is it nationwide ?
We’ve got that many slang words everyone else can barely understand us .
He/She’s gorra gob like a bag a spanners.
Gorra face like pound a smacked tripe!
Some of these are in regular use in New Zealand
Scatty – somewhat unpleasant in nature, whether it be by sight or by smell – “He must have had beans for his dinner, he proper stunk. Scatty him lad”
The other day means abar last year and the other week is over a year. She said that the other day lad.. wot day kid? Erm erm think it was the other week lad like last June or sutin..
Knock it off will yer!!
Please stop what you’re doing
**or pack it in!
I’m 42 lived in Liverpool all my life and have never heard a girl referred to as a ‘judy’. I think that was mentioned on that cilla black programme so probably died out in the 60’s!
Me dad used to say it years ago. He’s 82 born an bred in south Liverpool Park lane. Not really a term used these days. Usually use
‘ me Bird’
I’m 58 and from Liverpool and I have heard women referred to as someone’s Judy although being referred to as someone’s tart is more usual.
In bulk can also mean very ill or in pain.
Poey.. post office
“I pure had murder with him”
I had ann argument with him
Or “I feel ashamed for ya” as in I feel embarrassed for ya
Ya Ming = you dirty or permanently unwashed individual
Gizz or gizza meaning give me or give me a ……. as in gizza fag meaning please give me a cigarette
If my Dad saw someone afflicted with outwardly bent legs, he would say “Ay luk arrim ee cudd’n stop a pig in a jigger”
translation “Hey look at him he couldn’t catch a pig in a back alley.
Mank means a person from Manchester
If yer carnt fight wearra big ‘at said when one sees a person wearing an overlarge hat.
I was a teacher and often heard some great examples such as “Its eeze” meaning ” it is his” But a wonderful one was when a little boy came out and asked me how to spell “angle” when they were writing about hobbies. I said “Oh is your hobby fishing?” “Yes Miss” was his reply. I thought it was nice that he knew to fish was to angle. However when I came to mark his work the relevant sentence in the story was, “Me Dad bought me a fishing rod with a wooden angle” !
Another common ( and often difficult thing to say) is to use “a” before all nouns even when it should be “an”. Try for instance saying
“a elephant” or “a apple” or “a ‘oliday* not easy!
For a good list check out a book called “Lern yerself Scouse” by Fritz Spiegel
Born and lived here for 57 of my 63 years and never heard numbers 7,12,14,19,22,27,31ans 36. Also “la” is more Kirkby as in “Kirkby la las”
Aligrht alright alright that’s exactly what I needed!
When I was a child living in Liverpool, the back alleys were called ‘entries’ but generally referred to as ‘enogs’
Jangle…..(means gossip),,,shes. A right jangler her queen id stay away from her
Kite,,,,,,,,,(means a face),,,,get on the kite on her lads shes pure ugly
Lifting,,,,,(means a head full of nits) dont sit by her in school shes lifting
Reefing,,,(means,,pulling really hard) mam stop reefing me head with that brush will ye
Cracker,,,(means,,great/brill) we had a cracker holiday didnt we
Mazzy,,,,,(means,,,,mascara) hang on ive only gotta put me mazzy on then im ready
Get on,,,,,(means,,,to look at) get on his trainees
you missed out getting a takie / giz a mogga ( giving somebody a lift on the back / front of a bike ). You also missed out ‘ leggit or Bail ‘ ( to run very fast away from trouble ). also ‘ Jib it lad ‘ ( pack it in ). ‘ accross the pond / over the dark side / the sh1tty peninsular ‘ (through the tunnel to Birkenhead ). getting ‘ratt arsed / bladdered / legless / sh1t faced / off me Barnet ‘ ( having an Alcoholic drink )
All the alcohol ones are nationwide, as are leggit and bail
Scousers call people from areas surrounding Liverpool like the Wirral and St. Helens “Plastic” as in fake!
“Hey La, your plastic you, your not from round ere”
“You dozy sweat! “
Just runnin the home an bargain need anything kid
I’m going to home bargains do you need anything
Lemmo meaning lemonade or a fizzy drink of any colour like a bottle of orange lemmo
Woah nelly, how about them apelsp!
I have lived in Liverpool all my life n never heard of Judy or west they must of come of plazy scouders
I lived in Liverpool all my life ( off Scotland Rd ) could not be moreLiverpool than thatNd ALL the girls got referred to as Judy’s by their boyfriends. eg .My Judy . Yes this was inthe. 60’s.
Newziez – newsagents
The “olla” meaning a piece of waste ground as in
We played togger on the olla
Togger being football
An sum kids robbed our casey…
Sutton meaning. Something #scousersruletheworld
“This is our year mate” is another common Liverpool saying – it means “deluded”
It also means “bitter” when used by somebody of a certain persuasion 😉
Trabs never heard of it im from Anfield too, the baggy is the laundrette but a baggy is also a smackhead heroin user too a baghead…
Have you heard of BACK SLANG MY SISTER USED TO TEACH IT TO US SO COME ON ALL YOU TRUE Scousers lets here you talk a bet of it
Trackie
Pants
Bevies
Shockin
Chocka
Proper
Bladdered
Just a few I can think of
On the lash , big night out on the beerr
Doing me ed in!
No way!
Proper bad that
Eee worra ya like?
We could go on forever! Lol
Just throwing it out there, blert does not mean idiot. It’s another insult yes, but it’ll 100% does not mean idiot.
Lazzy band is the scousest word ever
Is rice.
Leg it, Like leave me alone
Ye Nan Insult
Forgot
‘Scatty’ creepy\ wierd eg. Went scatty last night after a few bevvies
‘Wat is’ how’s it going. Eg. Wat is la
‘Job’ taxi. Eg. Mate ring us a job.
‘Blower’ phone Eg. Mate get on the blower its been bout 20 minutes.
‘Seater’ give a lift on a pedal bike.
‘Grid’ Face eg. Get on her grid proper show.
‘Railings’ teeth eg. Look at him, needs to get them railings sortex .
How about ‘arr ay’. Pronounced like the letters ‘R’ & ‘A’? Use ‘arr ay la,…..’
No, brassic lint
Arl arse. Isn’t “cruel” and can be a noun or adjective. It’s just a general insult, often in jest, such as “State of arl arse there dead-‘eading me geraniums”.
Antwacky is “Aunt Wacky” as in an old-fashioned maiden aunt.
Wooly is short for wooly back, as in a sheep.
Where I was brought up webs meant feet as in “He’s gone out in ‘is biir webs”
You could also say ‘givin’ it beans’ for trying really hard instead of ‘givin’ it bifters’.
Saying ‘like’ after a sentence which is to confirm the other person’s understanding for example –
‘D’yaknowwharimean (say quickly all together) like’?
Seater for a lift on the back of someone’s bike (you stand up and peddle whilst the person you are giving a lift to sits on your seat).
Scousers call 1/2 bitter and lager mixed in a pint Golden, Wirral Squirrels call it a Chinese.
Scousers call Southern Comfort, lime and lemmo a Steamboat, the Wirrals call it a Steamboat.
Finally, this might be old fashioned – pop for any fizzy beverage.
I am born and bred Liverpool but have worked on the dark side.
Ooooops. Typo there. The Wirrals call a Steamboat a Swizzle.
How about ‘He was giving me down the banks’. Heard a school girl saying after a teacher asked her for her homework.
I can already tell that’s gonna be super hefplul.
And “pure” is pronounced “peyaaaaaaa” if you really want to emphasise it. 😀
Shit in a bag and punch it
YER MA
Always remember working with some lovely scouse ladies when I was younger . I remember one saying she’d “give him down the banks” .
MARRERWACK
Q: Wots a MARRERWACK?
A: Nuttin – ahm ahr rice. Youse ahr rice?
Face like burst balloon – someone who has a sad face when they don’t get there own way
Lazy band can also mean bladdered (very drunk)
‘lad, get on me all fella last night, he was like a lazy band’
‘did you see the state my father was in last night? He was very drunk’
Lemo can mean either lemonade or cocaine
Lad or girl can mean any person of a particular sex
‘ey girl, your fit, I’d well smash you’
Madam, I find you very attractive
And the last one,
‘me heads chokker’/ ‘you’re burnin me head out’
I am stressed/you are causing me stress.
nin = old lady e.g. the old nins From Welsh Nain = grandmother
What does ” if yer ‘avent Gorman people wheelie bin, yer a wool” mean?
If you havent got a purple wheely bin you are not in Liverpool
Get on the lemo
Heck of a job there, it abotlusely helps me out.
Never heard west or Judy being said and a meff is a scruff!
Sort ye ed out
R you messin
Dont be like tha
Oh fuckin-ell
Leg it
Behave ye divy
Get on me later
I teach in Liverpool. I think ‘pure’, as in ‘pure Baltic’ (or pure anything) is far more common than ‘absolutely’. One can be said, for example, to be ‘pure messin” or ‘pure fumin”. Occasionally ‘proper messin” or ‘proper fumin” may be used but I rarely hear the word absolutely.
Also, nobody in Liverpool is ever embarrassed. They are ‘ashamed’ if their hair looks a ‘proper show’.
Gigs=glasses, jiga=giro=Dole=social benefits, blurt=idiot, minge bag=selfish, bonce=head, on me lazzies=on my last legs, bashed=not pure, the cut=canal, twirly=elderly persons bus pass, jibbed=left before finishing, canoes=shoes for large feet, lamped=to get smacked, jaffa=cigarette but, jarg=fake, pegga=half smoked cigarette/joint, wabs=weed,
What about Deydododatdoughdontdeydo meaning yes they do!
Joke shop if job centre.
Eeee worra ya like…….. what are you like.
De …..the
So many more
Takey/mogger-to give someone a lift on a bicycle
Meff-tramp
Knoockadash-to knock on someone’s door and run away
Let’s Gerra legger from the bizzies la
Tidy;
Meaning fit/handsome/attractive
*oh my god dolls.. Look at him.. he’s proper tidy!!’
My one;
Referring to your fella/bird
*Cant wait for a little scran with my one’
So much info in so few words. Toltosy could learn a lot.
Ya ma popular saying now in Liverpool…
Day do doe dont day.
They do though don’t they
I remember stuff like going the cakey (sayers) and ah hey r ah.
Heard someone on the tv claim ‘get your golly on’ is a scouse saying.What does it mean ?
Quality, Quality, Quality!
Me bird also know as girlfriend
Home and bargain known as home bargains
I grew up in Merseyside most of my life (I’m not a “wool” though, because I was born in Cambridge) so I am familiar with most of these – and I watched Brookside over the years lol! There are a few that I’ve never, ever heard though. “Judy” is one of them; I only ever hear Scouse guys refer to their girlfriends/wives as their “bird” or “missus”. Also, I’ve never heard trainers being called “trabs” or “webs”, I have only ever heard them being called “trainees”. Furthermore, where “arl” is concerned, I always thought it was “ald”, meaning old, and that “ald arse” meant old git. Also, I thought “cob on” was actually gob on; there is even a lyric in a Mansun song: “You’ve got a gob on, my desperate icon”. Mansun are from Chester, by the way. I know a few more Scouse terms too; “photies” means photographs, “avvy” means afternoon, “int” is used in the same way Americans use “Not!”, “odds” means spare change (“Gorrany odds?”), “schoolie” means school child, and “steg” means dork.
Favourite saying “Bladdered ” drunk or Pissed,
How about sarnie (sandwich) or do a bouncer
(U-turn)
How about it’s cracking the flags ?? Lived down South for years and no one had heard of that one before