"woolly back" meaning in English

See woolly back in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-woolly back.ogg 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
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-7e0sk~Ks Categories (other): Liverpudlian English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 25 18 27 13 16 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 28 22 21 14 14 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 20 25 13 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 17 13 23 22 26
  2. (Liverpool slang, derogatory) A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Halton, and the Wirral. Tags: derogatory
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-NhhXjJEz Categories (other): Liverpudlian English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 25 18 27 13 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 20 25 13 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 17 13 23 22 26
  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, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 25 18 27 13 16 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 22 17 29 17 15 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 20 25 13 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 17 13 23 22 26 Disambiguation of 'slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside': 13 17 49 16 4
  4. (US, slang) A Welsh person. Tags: US, slang
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-K4G86wJF Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 25 18 27 13 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 20 25 13 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 17 13 23 22 26
  5. (US, slang) A New Zealander. Tags: US, slang Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-woolly_back-en-noun-Dc5DRW2J Disambiguation of People: 27 6 3 8 56 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 25 18 27 13 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 20 25 13 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 17 13 23 22 26
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: woolly, plazzy, wooley back [Geordie], woollyback, woolyback Related terms: scouse, taffy, Yonner, similar term from Manchester Coordinate_terms: Liverpudlian, Scouse, Scouser, wool, sheepshagger, goatfucker

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "Liverpudlian"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "Scouse"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "Scouser"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "wool"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "sheepshagger"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "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",
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        "plural"
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "woolly back (plural woolly backs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "scouse"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "taffy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "Yonner"
    },
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      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "similar term from Manchester"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
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          "kind": "other",
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      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-7e0sk~Ks",
      "links": [
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          "Liverpool",
          "Liverpool"
        ],
        [
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          "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"
      ]
    },
    {
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          "kind": "other",
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      "glosses": [
        "A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Halton, and the Wirral."
      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-NhhXjJEz",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Skelmersdale",
          "Skelmersdale"
        ],
        [
          "St. Helens",
          "St. Helens"
        ],
        [
          "Southport",
          "Southport"
        ],
        [
          "Halton",
          "Halton"
        ],
        [
          "Wirral",
          "Wirral"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Liverpool slang",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Liverpool slang, derogatory) A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Halton, and the Wirral."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ]
    },
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      "categories": [
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          "source": "w"
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            "Entries with incorrect language header",
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          "parents": [],
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      "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."
      ],
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        "British",
        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "13 17 49 16 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
          "word": "landepaukku"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "13 17 49 16 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
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        },
        {
          "_dis1": "13 17 49 16 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
          "word": "bönde"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "13 17 49 16 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: unsophisticated person from the countryside",
          "word": "heinähattu"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
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          "_dis": "25 18 27 13 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
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            "Entry maintenance"
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          "kind": "other",
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "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": "25 18 27 13 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "29 20 25 13 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "17 13 23 22 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 6 3 8 56",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A New Zealander."
      ],
      "id": "en-woolly_back-en-noun-Dc5DRW2J",
      "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"
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  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "woolly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "plazzy"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "tags": [
        "Geordie"
      ],
      "word": "wooley back"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "woollyback"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "18 9 28 16 29",
      "word": "woolyback"
    }
  ],
  "word": "woolly back"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
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  "coordinate_terms": [
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      "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",
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        "plural"
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  ],
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    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "woolly back (plural woolly backs)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
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    {
      "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, Halton, and the Wirral."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "Skelmersdale",
          "Skelmersdale"
        ],
        [
          "St. Helens",
          "St. Helens"
        ],
        [
          "Southport",
          "Southport"
        ],
        [
          "Halton",
          "Halton"
        ],
        [
          "Wirral",
          "Wirral"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Liverpool slang",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Liverpool slang, derogatory) A person from the Merseyside area surrounding Liverpool such as Skelmersdale, St. Helens, Southport, Halton, 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": [
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      "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"
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  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "woolly"
    },
    {
      "word": "plazzy"
    },
    {
      "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"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). 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.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.