General
wool
What does wool mean?
Someone from the Merseyside outskirts — St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, Wirral on a bad day — who isn't quite a Scouser but lives close enough to claim it. Mild piss-take, sometimes sharper.
"He's not from town, he's a wool from Sin'elens."
Origin
Short for 'woolyback'. One folk etymology says dock workers in Liverpool would spot lads from St Helens or Warrington by the wool fibres on their backs from working in the mills or with sheep.
Frequently asked questions
What does wool mean in Liverpool slang?
It's a term for a non-Scouser — someone from the towns surrounding Liverpool rather than the city proper.
How do you use wool in a sentence?
"He's not a real Scouser, he's a wool from out past Widnes."
Is wool offensive?
It's a mildly derogatory bit of Scouse banter, used to mark someone as an outsider to the city.
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