Why are people from Liverpool called scousers? Is it an insulting term or do Liverpudlians refer to themselves as scousers?

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Why are people from Liverpool called scousers? Is it an insulting term or do Liverpudlians refer to themselves as scousers?

Natasha, Sydney, Australia

Scouse was a stew usually made from ship's biscuit and fish frequently eaten by sailors. I'm not sure why the term stuck with Liverpool and not other ports, maybe it was particularily popular in Liverpool.
Fergus McGee, Dublin, Ireland

The nickname is said to derive from the name of the traditional dish 'lobscouse', a sort of stew, which was/is eaten round there. Compare this with the German 'Labskaus', and Welsh 'lobsgows', both approximately similar dishes.
Dominic Watt, Department of Linguistics & Phonetics, University of Leeds

It comes from 'lobscouse' which was a dish eaten in those parts, made with hard tack and bully beef. It was a traditional seaman's dish which may be of Viking origin. Labscaus is still a great speciality in Hamburg. It is made with corned beef, onions, beetroot and mashed potatoes and flavoured with a pinch of cumin and served with a fried egg on top. A version of this dish is also made in Denmark where herring is added. Delicious.
M Newman, Brussels Belgium

Scousers are named after a once-popular working-class dish of meat (if you were lucky) and veg stew, called scouse (without the meat, it's called blind scouse). It tastes great and my dad still makes a fine pan. No, it is not an insulting term and yes, Liverpudlians refer to themselves by this term, although less so these days.
Allan Morton, Bangkok, Thailand

Scouse is like Irish stew, but usually made with beef instead of lamb. I don''t find the term "Scouser" insulting, and I have never heard another Liverpudlian take offence.
Diane Roscoe, Liverpool, UK
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There is a Norwegian dish "lapskaus", to my mind a variant if not not the predecessor of Irish Stew. More interestingly there is an area of Oslo called if I remember right, Skaus corner. Any connection?
Kevin Wooldridge, Lowestoft, UK

As to the various explanations of "lapskaus" above, I would like to add that this is a Norwegian dish (dinner) consisting of potatoes, meat (pork or beef), carrots, leeks, all cubed and stewed until tender, and sprinkled with parsley when served. Traditionally, crisp, thin pieces of flatbread and a glass of cold milk is served with it.
As to the question whether "Skaus" in Oslo is in any way connected to the dish, I don't think that is the case. The place referred to is rightly spelled "Schous Corner", and alludes to the former brewery Schous which was situated nearby. The place retains the name, and is I'm afraid a rather run down pub often frequented by the less fortunate beer drinkers in Oslo.
Eli Wongraven, Oslo, Norway

I have heard many times that we (people from Liverpool) are called scousers because of a lamb stew was eaten by sailors all over the world. When their ships sailed into Liverpool docks. As for being insulted by being called a scouser it has never bothered me and I am PROUD to be a scouser.
K Mullady, Liverpool England

I know that Norwegian sailors were often called Scowegian, so a Norwegian link could be likely. Don't often hear people from Liverpool calling themselves Scousers, unless they are on tour! They can be sensitive if they see an implied insult. By the bye, blind scouse is Scouse with no meat.
Steve Reeds, Liverpool UK

To be called a scouser is not insulting, that is what we are. Give me a bowl of me ma's scouse with crusty bread any day and I'm a happy scouser.
tony, liverpool liverpool

People have so many interpretations of what classes as being a "scouser". Some say within the boundaries of the Mersey and Queens Drive. Some say within the "county of Merseyside". Some say, it's your accent that defines your status. However, the truth is, there are no more "real %100 scousers.The term dates back over 100 years. The phrase "scouser" was a harsh way of describing a child who was born on Mann Island. Mann Island was at the time, full of pubs, beggers, drunks, and prostitutes. Many poor young women would leave their new-born babies on Mann Island, hoping they would be found and looked after by rich folks as they came and went on their travels. As this place no longer exists, the words origin must be interpreted differently, or cease to be used.
Johnno, Las Vegas, US

Indeed the dish Scouse did derive from Northern Germany and Norway. I saw Labskause on a menu in Hamburg. Scandinavian sailors, of which there were plenty in Liverpool, and Liverpool has many people with some sort of Scandinavian decent, were called Scowegians or Scanwegians. My father called them by the latter. Liverpool had large German and Scandinavian communities, which in one generation blended in. Unfortunately, and to Liverpool's shame, a lot of the German community were driven out during World War One by harassment and physical attacks. Nearly all pork butchers in the city were owned by Germans.The name Scouser reflects Liverpool's German and Scandinavian connections, which tend to be grossly understated, with many in the south of England incorrectly perceiving Liverpool as being a part of Ireland on the English mainland.
John, Liverpool UK

In reply to "Johnno" US, your answer was wrong. Try using Google next time. And to the original question - yes, we call ourselves scousers and we're proud of the identity it gives us. Hence the Liverpool FC song "We're not English we are SCOUSE" and to "John" Liverpool - I think you will find no one ever has thought that people North of Queens Drive are not Scousers! And of course Liverpool is part of Ireland (little Dublin) :)
Scousedamo, Liverpool, England

Scouse (lobskause) was brought to the city by sailors from Scandinavia. People outside of Liverpool when visiting sampled and enjoyed the dish that it was vary popular in and outside of Liverpool so much so that outsiders nicknamed the people of Liverpool scousers after the dish.
David Corke , Liverpool, UK

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Why are people from Liverpool called scousers? Is it an insulting term or do Liverpudlians refer to themselves as scousers? | Notes and Queries (2024)