woolyback
English
Alternative forms
- wooley back (Geordie)
- woollyback
Etymology
- Liverpool Docks 18th Century: Unloading ships, the dockers would carry the woollen bales on their backs leaving traces of wool on their clothing.
- Medieval. Non resident Welsh and English people attempting to avoid the entrance fee at Chester City Walls on market day, by sneaking through the livestock entrances with a sheep on their back.
- Coal delivery men from mines in the areas surrounding liverpool would use a sheep fleece as padding for their backs when carrying bags of coal from their vehicles.
Noun
woolyback (plural woolybacks)
- (regional, Liverpudlian) A person who works in Liverpool docks (historically)
- (regional, pejorative, Liverpudlian) A person from any of several towns or the country around Liverpool (present day)