A History of Scouse

A History of Scouse takes place on 19 November 2026. Venue: Mossley Hill Parish Church, Liverpool.

Do you know the origins of ‘scoff’? Ever wondered where ‘footy’ was invented? What does salt fish have to do with bonfires? Why is ‘scouse’ called ‘scouse’? Tony Crowley takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of Scouse. His interest in Liverpool English began as a university student, when he noticed the differences between the language he’d grown up with in working-class Liverpool, and the language used by most of the people at Oxford during his time there. Tony will show us how Liverpool’s linguistic past, both the vocabulary and accent of the city, are products of a rich, difficult, and complicated multicultural history. He will also give a short reading from his A-Z of the relations between language, place, and history – Liverpool: a memoir of words . The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A and the chance to buy signed copies of Tony’s books. This illuminating and enjoyable talk will transform your understanding of the history of language in Liverpool. “Tony Crowley raids newspapers, journals, letters and his own memories in an attempt to trace the history of a manner of speaking. In doing so he tells the story of the rise and fall of a whole city, a way of life …” – Frank Cottrell-Boyce on Liverpool: a memoir of words . Tony Crowley is currently Professor of English language at Leeds, having previously taught at a number of universities in Britain and the United States. He has published a trilogy of books on the language and culture of Liverpool with Liverpool University Press: Scouse: a social and cultural history (2012), The Liverpool English Dictionary (2017), and Liverpool: a memoir of words (2023).