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Grunger

I thought of WASHERWOMAN and LAUNDRYMAID (perhaps two words), but I bet there are plenty of other possibilities - that's the trouble with 'quick' clues.

Malone

I don't look at the Times Jumbo but in Friday's Times 27863, 14ac:

Miss Roman cutting short boring appeal (9)

we had an SA bookend.

I can't remember seeing 'boring' used as an inserting convention before.

Not to highjack the thread, but I have a question. Earlier grunger used the term "Scouse." I know that refers to Liverpool, but I had wondered if it was considered offensive. I presume by grunger's use that it is not, but I guess it is much more informal than "Liverpudlian."

I currently live in Oklahoma, and the term Okie is widely used, but it does have a history of being offensive. See "The Grapes of Wrath" for example.

A few years back I had a student from Liverpool. (Our soccer team recruits heavily in England.) He had a rather heavy accent - for example, for the word circle he would say "sercle." I commented that the rest of the class probably didn't understand his Liverpudlian accent; if I had said "Scouse accent" would that have been inappropriate? Would it be offensive to call someone you didn't know very well a Scouse?

I'm not from Liverpool, but I think they have a traditional stew (?) called "lobscouse", from which "scouse" derives.

Yes, I looked it up in Chambers.

Malone Paul

It turned out to be maidservant, which I got from crossers. Sounds a bit biblical.

Mprs

Thanks for your interesting post. The friend from Liverpool I mentioned, and others I know, are happy to be referred to as "Scousers". Rather like Cockneys, not considered offensive at all. Scouser is the person and scouse the stew, as Chrise said. I think the origin is Scandinavian.

There seems to be several Liverpool (Scouse) accents. I think the middle class ones e.g. Lennon/ McCartney are easy to follow, but with some footballers I have heard on TV, very difficult.

I think your student would have been pleased to be called a Scouser.

Thank you for the explanation. Agree, as with many regional dialects/accents, there are variations. The student I mentioned definitely had a heavier accent than, say, the Beatles. Side note: I was reading a book about the Beatles not long ago, and apparently John was considered rather "posh" by the others.

Mathprof

I am from Liverpool and I still live near the city. I have always been happy to be referred to as a Scouser, but I think this is a modern word. My parents and relatives always referred to fellow citizens as "wackers".

malone

You complained recently about the old actor, Tree, appearing in crosswords. What did you think of the countertenor, Deller, in the Times yesterday. How many people have heard of him, or countertenor, even?

If the setter had to use Deller, why not refer to the world Darts champion, who is much more famous?

mathpro

Yes I think John was considered rather posh. I have visited the Beatles houses and he certainly lived in the nicest of them.

Some famous Liverpudlians have shown barely a trace of a Liverpool accent, e.g. George Melly, Tom Baker and Jigjag.