Woolybacks

[teash]

Anyone know where this saying comes from?

[Janner2]

A speculative answer (see Wikipaedia) is that it refers to Irish labourers drafted in to Liverpool to break a dock strike. They didn't have the proper equipment for carrying cargo so they carried bales of wool on their backs.

[Janner2]

I've just had another look at Wikipaeia using the spelling "Woollyback" and got several different possible answers! Suggest you look at Wikipaedia.

[teash]

Many thanks Janner

[joko]

woolly back is used in liverpool, to mean someone from yorkshire, lancashire, southport etc.
not sure why, but you are considered a woolyback if you are in liverpool but have a 'yorkshire type' accent or similar.

the irish are certainly not considered woollybacks

[Janner2]

It's taken me ages to find again the informaton about Irish labourers that I quoted, but I've found it at last in Wikidictionary - not Wikipaedia. It does say that their definition is speculative, and it certainly isn't included in the fuller Wikipaedia answers, which themselves include some dubious definitions.