"Scouse" but not "Scouser"? Embedded enregistered repertoires for adolescent girls on The Wirral. (May 2021) - Cooper, Paul
Abstract: Liverpool English, or "Scouse", is reportedly spreading into surrounding areas including the Wirral. Interviews with adolescent female speakers on the Wirral revealed that certain language features are perceived as sounding more or less "Scouse". Some features were also strongly associated with a stereotypical "Scouser" identity that speakers evaluated negatively and explicitly denied. Others were associated with sounding like a Liverpool speaker and evaluated positively. We conclude that there are multiple and embedded repertoires perceived by these speakers: a "Scouse" repertoire associated with solidarity, locality (Liverpool) and coolness and the repertoire of a "Scouser" which is associated with being unintelligible, non-posh and annoying. Highlights: Speakers discuss a stereotypical Scouser identity and enregistered Scouse repertoire. Some adolescent female speakers in The Wirral deny the Scouser identity. Being from Liverpool indexes positive social values but being a Scouser is negative. Elements of the Scouse repertoire are positively evaluated. They avoid being Scousers by selectively drawing on the Scouse repertoire.