Westie, or Westy, is a colloquial term used in Australian and New Zealand English to describe residents of the western suburbs of Sydney (Australia) or Auckland (New Zealand). It may also refer to people who might not live in the western part of a city. New Zealand English (NZE) is the English spoken in New Zealand. ...

Dictionary definition

According to the Macquarie Dictionary, the term in Australian English now refers to people from outer suburbs and a lower socio-economic background or the stereotypes associated with such people.^[1] It also states that the term has spread throughout Australia and is used to refer to people who may not live in the western part of their city.^[1] With reference to its use in Sydney, the Macquarie Book of Slang says the term is applied negatively to anyone that may live west of one's own suburb.^[2] Image:Macq4TH 3D NEW.jpg The Macquarie Dictionary, 4th edition. ...

Origin of the term

The term originated, and is most often used, in relation to residents of the numerous western suburbs of Sydney, Australia, and of Auckland, New Zealand. Greater Western Sydney is a very general term which is used to describe the region west of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920, in the city limits. ... Schematic map of Auckland. ...

Sydney, Australia

In Sydney, westies have taken their name from Sydney's western suburbs, a region of suburbs in which the cost of living is generally considered to be less than that of Sydney's more easterly and inner-city suburbs. The west also has lower levels of professional employment and suffers from higher crime rates. As a result, the term "westie" was used in a derogatory sense to suggest that someone was uncouth or unsophisticated. The Macquarie Book of Slang reports that the area which westies inhabit does not have clear boundaries, and so while some in the eastern suburbs might consider residents of Ryde westies, others may restrict the term to areas such as Blacktown and Penrith.^[2] The Eastern Suburbs is the name of the region to the direct east and south-east of inner Sydney, Australia. ... Ryde Bridge Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... Penrith is a suburb in the City of Penrith in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ...

In Sydney the term originated within the surfing community in the early 1970's. Board riders or surfers who lived in the eastern suburbs, closer to the beach and waves, would often refer to what they saw as "part time" weekend surfers, who travelled to the beach from the western suburbs as "westies". In this regard they were seen as "blow ins" who crowded the beach and waves each weekend.^{[citation needed]}

Auckland, New Zealand

In Auckland, Westies are almost entirely residents of Waitakere City, in particular the Auckland city-side suburbs of Te Atatu, Henderson, Sunnyvale, Glen Eden, and New Lynn. Some people from Avondale are called by others and themselves westies although Avondale is actually within the territory of Auckland City. Waitakere City is in the west of metropolitan Auckland, New Zealands most populous urban area. ... Schematic map of Auckland. ... Te Atatu is the name of two suburbs in Waitakere, one of the four cities that make up the Auckland urban area in northern New Zealand: Te Atatu Peninsula and Te Atatu South. ... Henderson is a major suburb of Waitakere City, in the Auckland metropolitan area in the North Island of New Zealand. ... New Lynn is a residential suburb of Waitakere, one of the four cities that make up the Auckland metropolitan area in northern New Zealand. ... Avondale is the name of suburbs in the cities of Auckland and New Zealand. ... This article is about the City of Auckland. ...

To be called a westie in Auckland is sometimes ambiguous as it can be both a pejorative or good natured, depending on intent. Many people from Waitakere City will call themselves westies with pride, yet not meet the stereotypical criteria.^[3]

The shift from a pejorative to a societal identifier has been abrupt an in no small part due to local comedian Ewen Gilmour whose stand-up comedy act as Ewen "Westie" Gilmour gave the term national prominence between 1995 and 2000 in the premier television programme, "Pulp Comedy". He was "unofficially appointed cultural ambassador" for Waitakere City.^[4] He was elected as councillor for the Waitakere City Council in 2004 and joins former mayor Tim Shadbolt as stereotypical westies who have entered local body politics.^{[citation needed]} 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tim Shadbolt - Mayor of Invercargill Timothy Richard Shadbolt (born February 19, 1947) is the mayor of the city of Invercargill, New Zealand, and former mayor of Waitemata city. ...

The westie stereotype

The term westie is often used to associate someone or something with a stereotype. The stereotype depicts people from the outer suburbs as unintelligent, undereducated, unmotivated, unrefined, lacking in fashion sense, working-class or unemployed. Clothing such as flanellette shirts, Ugg boots, and leopard-print fabric are associated with the stereotype, as are the "uniform" of black t-shirt and ripped jeans.^[5] The ugg boot is a generic term for a style of boot, constructed of sheepskin, with the wool as the inner lining and a tanned outer surface. ...

Similar Australian and New Zealand English terms

There are many colloquial terms originating in other cities which have similar connotations:^[1][6]

• Bogan in Australia and Hutt Valley, Tawa in Wellington, New Zealand.
• Bevan in Brisbane.
• Chigger in Hobart.
• Booner in Canberra.
• Yobbo throughout Australia and Britain, but particularly synonymous with Westie in Perth.
• Yobbo, Feral or 'Northern Scum' (In Reference to Adelaide's Northern Suburbs such as Elizabeth, this is on par with the Sydney description above) in Adelaide.
• Dero in Australia

Bogan (pronounced , rhyming with slogan) is an Australian and New Zealand English slang term, generally pejorative, for a person who is, or is perceived to be, unsophisticated or of a lower class background. ... The Hutt Valley is the large area of fairly flat land in the Hutt River valley in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. ... For other uses, see Wellington (disambiguation). ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third largest city in Australia, with a greater metropolitan population of just under two million. ... Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. ... A Booner is usually considered a person of low social order from Canberra, ACT, Australia. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Yobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth blue collar individual or thug. ... The Perth skyline viewed from the Swan River This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... Yobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth blue collar individual or thug. ... The term feral means wild. In Australian slang, a feral generally refers to a person who dresses and acts in what is seen to be an uncontrolled manner: In many instances it is a derogative form instead of the more positive Hippie. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... Richard Sharpe Shaver (b. ...

Similar terms used in other English dialects

Other derogatory terms associated with stereotypes of unsophistication include:^{[citation needed]}

• Trailer trash (US)
• Cracker (US)
• Hillbilly (US)
• White trash (US)
• Chav (UK)
• Essex girl (UK)
• Ned (Scottish) (Scottish, particularly Glasgow dialect)
• Knacker (Ireland)

Trailer trash (or trailer park trash) is a derogatory U.S. English term for people who live in trailers or mobile homes, especially in trailer parks. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The word cracker can refer to: // Terms Cracker (computing), a person who engages in illegal system cracking or software cracking, circumventing computer security systems; also known as a black hat hacker. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Hillbilly is a term referring to people who dwell in remote, rural, mountainous areas. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... White trash is a derogatory term with a classist component targeted almost exclusively at non-Latino white people and connoting low social status or poor prospects (i. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Look up chav, charva in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ace lace: a mini in broderie anglaise. ... Look up ned in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell... Glaswegian redirects here. ... Look up knacker, knackered in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

See also

• Elitism
• Classism
• Class conflict
• Parochialism
• Greater Western Sydney

Elitism is the belief or attitude that the people who are considered to be the elite — a selected group of persons with outstanding personal abilities, wealth, specialised training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously, or... Classism (a term formed by analogy with racism) is any form of prejudice or oppression against people who are in, or who are perceived as being like those who are in, a lower social class (especially in the form of lower or higher socioeconomic status) within a class society. ... Class conflict is both the friction that accompanies social relationships between members or groups of different social classes and the underlying tensions or antagonisms which exist in society. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Greater Western Sydney is a very general term which is used to describe the region west of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Westie", Macquarie Dictionary Online Edition 2005.
2. ^ ^{a b} "Westie", Macquarie Book of Slang, Macquarie Library, 2000.
3. ^ Review of Bob Harvey's book (see below). (NB: pdf file)
4. ^ Ewen Gilmour's official website
5. ^ Scott Poynting and Jock Collins (eds), The Other Sydney: Communities, Identities and Inequalities in Western Sydney, Common Ground, 2000. p20.
6. ^ "Yobbo", Macquarie Dictionary Online Edition 2005.

• SMH Radar: You are where you live
• Diane Powell (1993). Out west : perceptions of Sydney's western suburbs. St. Leonards, NSW : Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86373-503-8. 
• Jock Collins & Scott Poynting (Ed.) (2000). The other Sydney : communities, identities and inequalities in Western Sydney. Altona, Vic. : Common Ground Publishing. ISBN 1-86335-017-9. 

• Bob Harvey (2004). Westies up front out there. Auckland : Exisle. ISBN 0-908988-38-9. 

Robert Harvey (b. ... Original bassist for Jefferson Airplane, most recently singer songwriter with San Francisco Blue. ...

External links

• Strine and Aussie Slang