"woolly back" meaning in English

See woolly back in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-woolly back.ogg [Australia] Forms: woolly backs [plural]
Etymology: The Liverpool Echo suggests two possible origins for the term, both dating back to the early 1900s: * It may be a term for scab workers brought into the city from surrounding towns to manually load and unload ships in the Liverpool docks; unloading ships, the dockers would carry the woollen bales on their backs, leaving wool on their clothes. * It may be a term for men who delivered coal into Liverpool from mines surrounding the city, who wore sheep fleece to protect their backs. Another suggestion is that it could have originated in the Middle Ages from non-resident Welsh and English people trying to avoid the entry fee at the Chester city walls on market day by sneaking in the livestock entrance with a sheep on their back. Head templates: {{en-noun}} woolly back (plural woolly backs)
  1. (Liverpool slang, now historical) A non-Liverpudlian person who travels to Liverpool, especially to work at the docks. Tags: historical Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-7e0sk~Ks Disambiguation of People: 18 3 2 39 38 Categories (other): Liverpudlian English
  2. (Liverpool slang, derogatory) A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Widnes, and the Wirral. Tags: derogatory
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-oIr0LVGL Categories (other): Liverpudlian English
  3. (British, slang) Any unsophisticated person from the countryside. Tags: British, slang Translations (slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside): landepaukku (Finnish), turvenuija (Finnish), bönde (Finnish), heinähattu (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-D7-xXRL2 Categories (other): British English Disambiguation of 'slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside': 10 14 38 14 24
  4. (US, slang) A Welsh person. Tags: US, slang Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-K4G86wJF Disambiguation of People: 18 3 2 39 38 Categories (other): American English
  5. (US, slang) A New Zealander. Tags: US, slang Categories (topical): People Synonyms: woolly, wooley back [Geordie], woollyback, woolyback Related terms: scouse, taffy, Yonner, similar term from Manchester Coordinate_terms: Liverpudlian, Scouse, Scouser, wool, sheepshagger, goatfucker
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-Dc5DRW2J Disambiguation of People: 18 3 2 39 38 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 13 10 15 8 55 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 8 6 12 7 68 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 15 7 18 9 51

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for woolly back meaning in English (5.7kB)

{
  "etymology_text": "The Liverpool Echo suggests two possible origins for the term, both dating back to the early 1900s:\n* It may be a term for scab workers brought into the city from surrounding towns to manually load and unload ships in the Liverpool docks; unloading ships, the dockers would carry the woollen bales on their backs, leaving wool on their clothes.\n* It may be a term for men who delivered coal into Liverpool from mines surrounding the city, who wore sheep fleece to protect their backs.\nAnother suggestion is that it could have originated in the Middle Ages from non-resident Welsh and English people trying to avoid the entry fee at the Chester city walls on market day by sneaking in the livestock entrance with a sheep on their back.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "woolly backs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "woolly back (plural woolly backs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Liverpudlian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 3 2 39 38",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A non-Liverpudlian person who travels to Liverpool, especially to work at the docks."
      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-7e0sk~Ks",
      "links": [
        [
          "Liverpool",
          "Liverpool"
        ],
        [
          "dock",
          "dock"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Liverpool slang",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Liverpool slang, now historical) A non-Liverpudlian person who travels to Liverpool, especially to work at the docks."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Liverpudlian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Widnes, and the Wirral."
      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-oIr0LVGL",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Skelmersdale",
          "Skelmersdale"
        ],
        [
          "St. Helens",
          "St. Helens"
        ],
        [
          "Southport",
          "Southport"
        ],
        [
          "Widnes",
          "Widnes"
        ],
        [
          "Wirral",
          "Wirral"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Liverpool slang",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Liverpool slang, derogatory) A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Widnes, and the Wirral."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any unsophisticated person from the countryside."
      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-D7-xXRL2",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, slang) Any unsophisticated person from the countryside."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "10 14 38 14 24",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
          "word": "landepaukku"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 14 38 14 24",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
          "word": "turvenuija"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 14 38 14 24",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
          "word": "bönde"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "10 14 38 14 24",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
          "word": "heinähattu"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 3 2 39 38",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A Welsh person."
      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-K4G86wJF",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, slang) A Welsh person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 10 15 8 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 6 12 7 68",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 7 18 9 51",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 3 2 39 38",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "Liverpudlian"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "Scouse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "Scouser"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "wool"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "sheepshagger"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "goatfucker"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A New Zealander."
      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-Dc5DRW2J",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, slang) A New Zealander."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "scouse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "taffy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "Yonner"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 2 2 94",
          "word": "similar term from Manchester"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "11 5 18 19 48",
          "word": "woolly"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 5 18 19 48",
          "tags": [
            "Geordie"
          ],
          "word": "wooley back"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 5 18 19 48",
          "word": "woollyback"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "11 5 18 19 48",
          "word": "woolyback"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-woolly back.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3f/En-au-woolly_back.ogg/En-au-woolly_back.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/En-au-woolly_back.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "woolly back"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "Liverpudlian"
    },
    {
      "word": "Scouse"
    },
    {
      "word": "Scouser"
    },
    {
      "word": "wool"
    },
    {
      "word": "sheepshagger"
    },
    {
      "word": "goatfucker"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "The Liverpool Echo suggests two possible origins for the term, both dating back to the early 1900s:\n* It may be a term for scab workers brought into the city from surrounding towns to manually load and unload ships in the Liverpool docks; unloading ships, the dockers would carry the woollen bales on their backs, leaving wool on their clothes.\n* It may be a term for men who delivered coal into Liverpool from mines surrounding the city, who wore sheep fleece to protect their backs.\nAnother suggestion is that it could have originated in the Middle Ages from non-resident Welsh and English people trying to avoid the entry fee at the Chester city walls on market day by sneaking in the livestock entrance with a sheep on their back.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "woolly backs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "woolly back (plural woolly backs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "scouse"
    },
    {
      "word": "taffy"
    },
    {
      "word": "Yonner"
    },
    {
      "word": "similar term from Manchester"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang",
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "Liverpudlian English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A non-Liverpudlian person who travels to Liverpool, especially to work at the docks."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Liverpool",
          "Liverpool"
        ],
        [
          "dock",
          "dock"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Liverpool slang",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Liverpool slang, now historical) A non-Liverpudlian person who travels to Liverpool, especially to work at the docks."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English slang",
        "Liverpudlian English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Widnes, and the Wirral."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Skelmersdale",
          "Skelmersdale"
        ],
        [
          "St. Helens",
          "St. Helens"
        ],
        [
          "Southport",
          "Southport"
        ],
        [
          "Widnes",
          "Widnes"
        ],
        [
          "Wirral",
          "Wirral"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Liverpool slang",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Liverpool slang, derogatory) A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Widnes, and the Wirral."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any unsophisticated person from the countryside."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, slang) Any unsophisticated person from the countryside."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A Welsh person."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, slang) A Welsh person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A New Zealander."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, slang) A New Zealander."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-woolly back.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3f/En-au-woolly_back.ogg/En-au-woolly_back.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/En-au-woolly_back.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "woolly"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Geordie"
      ],
      "word": "wooley back"
    },
    {
      "word": "woollyback"
    },
    {
      "word": "woolyback"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
      "word": "landepaukku"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
      "word": "turvenuija"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
      "word": "bönde"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
      "word": "heinähattu"
    }
  ],
  "word": "woolly back"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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