scouse
(skaʊs)
Also scouce.
[Shortened from lobscouse.]
1. = lobscouse.
| 1840 R. H. Dana Bef. Mast v, The cook had just made for us a mess of hot ‘scouse’. 1876 C. H. Davis Polaris Exp. vi. 163 A couple pounds of which we used last night making scouse. 1884 Pall Mall Budget 22 Aug. 13/2 Bear and walrus were boiled up with vegetables and made into scouce or soup. |
2. Transferred uses. (Often with capital initial.) slang. a. A native or inhabitant of Liverpool.
| 1945 Southern Daily Echo 27 Dec. 4/3 He was stopped by his Lordship and asked to explain the meaning of three words—‘oppo’, ‘Geordie’ and ‘scouse’. His interpretations were: ‘oppo’ slang for opposite number, friend or colleague, ‘Geordie’—a native of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; ‘scouse’—a native of Liverpool where they eat ‘scouse’ (stew). 1960 O. Manning Great Fortune ii. 148 ‘I'm a scouse,’ he said. ‘From the dregs of the Liverpool soup.’ 1969 R. Airth Snatch! ix. 91 ‘Where's home?’ ‘Liverpool.’ ‘A scouse. Fancy that.’ 1980 Times 20 June 11/6 A roly-poly, amiable Liverpudlian, with the Scouse's seemingly god-given gift of being able to send up an overblown..occasion. |
b. The dialect of English spoken in Liverpool. Also, the manner of pronunciation or accent typical to the ‘scouse’.
| 1963 Guardian 3 June 10/5 This rock group suddenly made Liverpool fashionable in the entertainment world. After their fist two records it became necessary for people in the business in London to learn a few words of Scouse. 1966 ‘L. Lane’ ABZ of Scouse Introd., As a dialect—for it is a dialect and not just a regional accent—Scouse has many curious features. 1979 Times 20 Nov. 4 A touch of Scouse in the pronunciation will be entirely acceptable. |
c. attrib. or as adj.
| 1960 Spectator 14 Oct. 565 A horrifyingly plausible spiv, even down to that awful ‘scouse’ accent. 1965 G. Melly Owning Up vi. 67 Albert Kinder, a scouse promoter who intended to tie up jazz in the North. 1969 I. & P. Opie Children's Games x. 276 ‘Film Stars’ is the most popular guessing game in Britain... Other names: ‘Initials’, ‘Pop Stars’, ‘TV Stars’, and, in Liverpool, ‘Filmy’, a typical scouse apocope. 1973 Guardian 1 Aug. 1/8 Scouse House was the tongue-in-cheek name given to the Merseyside Development Office. 1976 Observer 8 Aug. 11 (Advt.), Ar Alf sez darrevry Scouse Big'ead's brood special fer d'Pool, like. |