Liverpool may be a small city but it is bursting with diversity, from the influx of the international students to the mad locals, and everyone in between, there is never a dull moment on the streets of Liverpool. For you to imagine the diversity, here are the eight different types of people who walk the streets of Liverpool:
It may be one of the most stereotypical and well-known stereotypes of Liverpool, but as a Scouser myself I cannot deny that there is a bit of Scouse Prin in nearly everyone who walks the cobbled streets of Liverpool.
If you didn’t know, Scousers are actually known for their style and their ability to dress to the occasion (or overdress). A Scouse Prin does just that, as they go to great lengths to find the perfect outfit, and in a girl’s case perfect hair, makeup, and tan to go along with it (By a professional of course). Not forgetting the famous Scouse Brow, which a Scouse Prin wouldn’t be caught dead without.
Although it stands for Scouse Princess, men also apply. Arguably, the men are actually worse than the women with their pampering sessions, as they overindulge on teeth whitening, the occasional spray tan or sunbed session, and the essential haircut, to make themselves Scouse Prin worthy.
Many people believe the Scouse Prin is a negative label, but it actually just means you like to look your best and go to the best places, with perfectly matching eyebrows and a bottle of prosecco in hand. Who isn’t guilty of that?
It may be a national stereotype, but in Liverpool “The Lads” are the football fans (Bitter Blues and Reds included), and the fighting fans. Who go out after with the boys or the fellas, and enjoy a few pints, followed by a JD and coke or 12, followed by a taxi and a Nabzy’s, because it wouldn’t be a lad night without it.
The stereotype of “The Lads” may resonate with other cities in the UK, but the Liverpool Lads can be spotted easily in their Hugo Boss polos and perfected haircuts, with some still holding on to the traditional short back and sides cut. Whilst some of the younger generation of lads have introduced “The Ket Wig”- basically just unruly, long hair, which of course completes the lad look completely, or you could argue that they are trying to recreate The Beatles’ favourite tune Long Haired Lover from Liverpool or Harry Enfield’s calm down skit. Who knows?
You may think “The Lads” are the 18-25 crowd, but actually the age range Is never ending, as once a boy is born they officially become one of the lads, then they are taken to the football by their Dad or Grandad, who also identity as one of the lads. This generational set of lads shows the solidarity within the city, and that of course, Lads will be Lads.
Every city has the posh ones. In Liverpool, a small amount of them that are actually locals, but you just cannot detect their accent for the life of you. They are only recognised as scousers when their mate from uni believes they have the strongest Liverpool accent they have ever heard. Whether that is a compliment or not is up for debate.
Posh is usually associated with the snob, which of course there are some out there on the streets of Liverpool, but not necessarily just because they have a posh accent, just because they are snobs, basically.
It is actually only seen as a posh accent to locals, because when you have a strong scouse accent, anybody else sounds posh. Some scousers may even label them a “Wool”. Now that might just be a step too far.
The wool, short for woolyback. Some even call them plazzy (plastic) scousers, which is a different kettle of fish.
Some Liverpudlians use the term for anyone who does not have an L in their postcode, so that obviously narrows it down. Others use the label for those who live “Over the water” which is code for the Wirral, which is in Merseyside, and is actually only a short drive away. But if you have to pass through the tunnel, then unfortunately you are a wool, according to a lot of locals.
Defining a plaster scouser is where it gets complicated, as they are also referred to as wools who fake a strong scouse accent, believable to outsider but scousers can detect such things, so don’t even try it! But in my opinion if you were born in Liverpool, or you have a genuine scouse accent, then that rules out the wool term, case closed.
Short for scallywag. The sight of a scally on the streets of Liverpool is actually quite rare in comparison to a couple of years ago, but is still a term used regularly by locals. Scallies usually dress in dark tracksuits (or a tracky, if we’re talking scouse) with their hoods up, whilst they hang around on street corners, or drive around Liverpool on their scrambler bikes, causing chaos.
But we cannot paint all these boys (and possibly girls) with the same brush, as many of these so-called scallies are some of the nicest people you can come across, just like a lot of people in Liverpool. But it wouldn’t hurt for them to wear abit of colour, maybe even a red tracky every once in a while.
It is mostly the younger boys, who usually at around eighteen, decide to grow out of the scally stage, and discover some colour, maybe wear a pair of jeans, and throw away their bikes. They grow up so fast!
Every city has their oldies, who discuss their city in the good old days to their heart’s content. They usually mull it over with a few pints, and a few too many Aussie White’s. That’s not to say older women don’t discuss the golden days, but “the good old days” is such a Grandad saying, which surely resonates in every city.
They pipe up about the young kids of today, who are stuck to their phones and don’t talk properly. They are not afraid to shout at a young person who is talking or behaving like a “scallywag”, but they do it with such authority and charm, there is nothing you can say or do, they are the boss.
But, you have to admit there Is nothing better than sitting in a pub in Liverpool, with your phone away (against your will), sipping on a Kopparberg, whilst your Grandparents or any elderly visitors to the pub discuss the old days; their time at sea, the famous Liverpool docks, and even their time in the old dance halls.
Whether you are a complete stranger passing by, or a family member who has heard the same story a million times, you will be invited to sit, try out your best fake laugh, and enjoy the company of the amazing arl (old) ones.
Hippies have obviously been around for a long time, but this upgraded version of the hippy appears to have hit the streets of Liverpool in a big way, in the last couple of years atleast.
A Scouse hippy, is not that different from a normal hippy, with the long hair, lack of deodorant (not all of them), colourful clothing and their hatred for “The Man”, even though some of them actually work three jobs for “The Man”, but that’s beside the point.
But for all the jokes about hippies, they are actually such a great asset to Liverpool, as they exude genuine happiness and love for the people and the city of Liverpool, which is something everybody should aim to do.
The greatest thing about these self-confessed hippies is that they have a strong inclination to help others, including the world and the animals, as they are of course vegetarian or vegan. They also love festivals (or fezzies to scousers) like the rest of us, but in Liverpool a lot of them actually plan festival events to raise money for important causes, such as the homelessness issue in the city of Liverpool.
Everyday there is a homeless man in Liverpool city centre, who sings his heart out in to a plastic microphone, and although he may not be the next singing sensation, he shows pure joy whilst doing so.
He along with many other homeless people in Liverpool have this sense of joy about them, which is amazing, considering their living conditions.
A month ago, The Guardian newspaper released a short documentary, which covered solutions to homelessness in Liverpool, which involved a Hippy and a property developer coming together to create a living space for the homeless called Our House for the People. The documentary is extremely moving, and exudes positivity from those who were homeless, showing how a negative can be turned in to a positive.
This documentary showcases the true kindness that scousers are known for, especially from those who are down and out, but still remain joyful.
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