Scouse/scouser

Both these words signify a native of Liverpool and date from the late 19th century. The origin is obscure but the most commonly suggested etymology is an abbreviation of ‘lobscouse’, a nautical word dating from the early 18th century for a sailor’s dish of stewed meat, vegetables and ships’ biscuits. In the old days, sailors themselves were often referred to as ‘lobscouses’. Liverpool, of course, was and still is a great naval port, and a great many of its inhabitants were sailors or ‘lobscouses’ so it hardly surprising that the abbreviation ‘scouse’ or ‘scouser’ would come to be associated with it.