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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Lottie Gibbons

21 things you should never say to someone from Liverpool

Liverpool is a city seeped in history, culture and beauty.

Described by English Heritage as England's finest Victorian City, we have splendors of architectural masterpieces.

From The Three Graces to Falkner Square, there are a handful of places, where you can sit back and admire the view.

We're also famous for our incredible music scene and two world-class football clubs.

Is there anything we've missed? Let us know in the comments below

But there are a number of myths, stereotypes and eye-rolling statements which make us chuckle and sigh.

We've picked 21 classics that many Liverpudlians will have been on the receiving end of.

21. 'Have you ever stolen anything?'

Potentially up there with one of the most unoriginal 'jokes' you could make about people from Liverpool.

It wasn't funny when Charlie Brooker said Scousers were car thieves and it still isn't funny today.

Ask anyone from the city if they've ever had anything stolen and the answer is likely to be no.

20. 'You don't sound like a Scouser'

We don't all sound like we're from an episode of Brookside or Desperate Scousewives.

There are varying levels of the accent with some speaking in a softer dialect than others.

You may also find the older Scouse accent has a slight twinge of Lancashire in it.

19. The above person then proceeds to attempt a terrible Scouse accent

Please stop.

Piers Morgan performs cringe-worthy impression of Love Island's Hayley

18. Praising the Tories

Liverpool isn't exactly a friendly territory for the Conservative Party.

The city hasn't had a Conservative councillor for 20 years , and today its MPs have some of the strongest Labour majorities in the country.

Thatcher's government in the 1980s instigated a series of cuts which brought it into conflict with many in the city.

But even now, the UK's new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is a man with a chequered history when it comes to Liverpool, having had to apologise for derogatory comments  published about the city when he was editor of The Spectator magazine in 2004.

And policies like  Universal Credit have negatively affected thousands of Liverpool families.

17. 'You must love the Beatles'

We do love the Beatles, but we also love a lot of other music.

From cheesy 80s to emerging artists Red Rum Club and even a bit of CamelPhat or Dua Lipa is well appreciated.

16. 'Liverpool isn't a good night out'

If you're saying this, you've never been on a night out in the city.

15. 'It's 'Asda' and 'Home Bargains''

We have our own dictionary here and calling these supermarkets Asda and Home Bargains is just unacceptable.

You'll find it's 'The Asda' and 'Home and Bargain'.

14. Assuming everyone from Merseyside is a Scouser

Geography is key here as not everyone from Merseyside is classed as a Scouser.

A guide to where Liverpool is in Merseyside (Google Maps)

Anyone from the likes of St Helens, Rainford, or Southport is not Scouse - nor is anyone from Wirral.

The term 'Wool' or 'Woolyback' is usually reserved as a name for those who live outside of Liverpool.

13. 'Liverpool isn't a safe city'

An outdated opinion, which is factually not true.

Figures from the Home Office show the region isn't even listed in the top 10 'most dangerous' areas in the UK.

In fact, the county only placed 12th in the UK for crime levels, with Greater Manchester and Lancashire scoring a respective second and ninth.

12. 'Can you say chicken?'

Scouse Alphabet

We can say chicken, but not if it's for your entertainment.

11. Assuming we're uneducated

A quick look at the data on education for 2018 shows that 74.3% of us have five or more GCSEs at grades A-C, intermediate GNVQ, NVQ 2, intermediate 2 national qualification (Scotland) or equivalent - higher than the average for core cities.

And 37.5% of people in the region have a HND, degree and higher degree level qualifications or equivalent.

10. 'Red or a blue?'

They're both nice colours.

9. 'Calm down, calm down'

We get it, you've watched Harry Enfield's "Scousers in the pub" sketch.

Yet telling someone to  'calm down, calm down'  will fail to get a chuckle from us.

8. 'Can you say Liverpewwwwwl?'

See point 12.

7. 'It's not a very pretty city'

Pictures show stunning sunset over Liverpool

Walking around the city is an historical, architectural and pleasurable experience.

With two cathedrals, the Three Graces and one of the most advanced docks in the world,  Liverpool  is a fascinating place for a stroll.

6. 'Manchester has better music culture than Liverpool'

Oldies but goodies

  • The Beatles
  • Mel C - Spice Girls
  • Natasha Hamilton - Atomic Kitten
  • Cilla Black
  • Heidi Range - Sugababes
  • Lita Roza
  • Liz McClarnon - Atomic Kitten
  • Sonia

New bands

  • Red Rum Club
  • The Cheap Thrills
  • She Drew The Gun

We could continue....

5. Chanting 'sign on' and 'bin dipper'

This depressingly familiar chant has resurfaced recently and it's simply not on.

Between July 2017 and June 2018, Liverpool City Region's  unemployment rate  was just 4.2%.

So the taunts which have been aimed at fans of both Liverpool and Everton for decades, have little basis in fact - regardless of the fact that relishing the prospect of people being unemployed is unacceptable in its own right.

4. Comparing Liverpool One to the Trafford Centre

These shopping complexes are repeatedly compared to one another, despite being very different.

For a start, Liverpool One is outside; the Trafford Centre is inside.

Liverpool's is based in the city centre, whereas the Trafford Centre is five miles outside Manchester city centre.

Both have different shops, you won't find a Selfridges in Liverpool but you will find the UK's only Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar.

3. Calling one of these a roll or a bap

Do not go into Greggs asking for a sausage bap - it's all about the barm here.

2. 'Have you ever walked around in rollers or worn pyjamas to the supermarket?'

While there's nothing wrong with walking around in rollers or wearing your PJs to the shops, you'll find most people from Liverpool have never done this.

For some reason, this stereotype has become associated with Scouse women, despite it being a fairly common occurrence in other cities - not just ours.

1. 'What do you call a Scouser in a suit?'

We would assume they were just a smartly-dressed person.

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