Westies (people): Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Westies (people)

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Westies (people)
	Home Discussion
	Topics Westies (people) Topic Home Westie, or Westy, is a colloquialColloquialism A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech or writing.... term used in AustralianAustralian English Australian English is the form of the English language used in Australia.... and New Zealand EnglishNew Zealand English New Zealand English is the English spoken in New Zealand.... to stereotypicallyStereotype Stereotypes are ideas held by some individuals about members of particular groups, based solely on membership in that group.... describe residents of the Greater Western SydneyGreater Western Sydney Greater Western Sydney and Western Sydney are general terms which are used to describe the western region of the metro... , the town of Ballarat (Australia) or the West AucklandAuckland The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in ... city of WaitakereWaitakere span="3" align=center bgcolor="#FFDDAA">Waitakere City... (New Zealand). It may also refer to people who might not live in the west of a city. There is no equivalent term for people from East such as Eastie. Origin and definition of the term The term originated, and is most often used, in relation to residents of the numerous western suburbsGreater Western Sydney Greater Western Sydney and Western Sydney are general terms which are used to describe the western region of the metro... of SydneySydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4.2 million people .... , AustraliaAustralia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland o... , and of AucklandAuckland The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in ... , New ZealandNew Zealand New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands and many much smaller islands, m... . According to the Macquarie DictionaryMacquarie Dictionary The *Macquarie Dictionary* is a dictionary of Australian English.... , the term in Australian English now refers to people from outer suburbs and a lower socio-economic background, or to the stereotypes associated with such people. It also states that the term has spread throughout Australia and may be used to refer to people who may not live in the western part of their city. 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. The westie persona The term "westie" is often used to associate someone or something with a stereotype. This stereotype depicts people from the outer suburbs as unintelligent, undereducated, unmotivated, unrefined, lacking in fashion sense, working-class or unemployed. Clothing such as flannelette shirts, Ugg bootsUgg boots Ugg boots, or simply uggs, is a generic term for a type of sheepskin boot which has been made in Australia and New Ze... , and leopard-print fabric are associated with the stereotype, as are the "uniform" of black t-shirt and ripped jeans. Clothing associated with the female westie includes jeans with tassels and tight-fitting tops, often white. Auckland, New Zealand In Auckland, westies are almost entirely residents of Waitakere City, in particular the AucklandAuckland The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in ... city-side suburbs of Te AtatuTe Atatu Te Atatu is the name of two suburbs in Waitakere, one of the four cities that make up the Auckland urban area in northern Ne... , HendersonHenderson, New Zealand Summary Henderson is a major suburb of Waitakere City, in the Auckland metropolitan area in the North Island of New Zealand.... , Sunnyvale, Glen Eden, Titirangi, and New Lynn. Some people from AvondaleAvondale, New Zealand Avondale is the name of suburbs in the cities of Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand.... are called by others and themselves westies although Avondale is actually within the territory of Auckland CityAuckland City Auckland City is the territorial authority covering the Auckland isthmus and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf.... . 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. Westies are stereotypically seen as being more brash and of-the-soil than other districts of Auckland. The stereotype also incorporates black jerseys and old V8 cars. 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. He was elected as councillor for the Waitakere City Council in 2004 and joins former mayor Tim ShadboltTim Shadbolt Timothy Richard Shadbolt is the mayor of the city of Invercargill, New Zealand, and former mayor of Waitemata City.... as stereotypical westies who have entered local body politics. 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 is thought by some to have more crime. 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 even though Western Sydney is generally regarded as being the metropolitan area west of ParramattaParramatta, New South Wales Parramatta is a suburb in the City of Parramatta in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.... . While some in the eastern suburbsEastern Suburbs (Sydney) The Eastern Suburbs is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the east and south-east of... might consider residents of RydeRyde, New South Wales Ryde is a suburb in the City of Ryde in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.... westies, others may restrict the term to areas such as BlacktownBlacktown, New South Wales Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.... and PenrithPenrith, New South Wales 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 1970s. 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. Coastal suburbs It could be noted in this context that both in Auckland and Sydney, the western suburbs often have no (or less prominent) coastal access. This is often reflected in house prices and suburb 'status'. Similar Australian and New Zealand English terms There are many colloquial terms originating in other cities which have similar connotations: BoganBogan Bogan is an Australian and New Zealand English slang term, generally pejorative, for a person who is, or is perceived to be,... in Australia and New Zealand. in BrisbaneBrisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the third largest city in Austr... . in HobartHobart Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania.... . Booner in CanberraCanberra Canberra is the capital city of Australia and with a population of just over 325,000 is Australia's largest inland city.... . YobboYobbo Yobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth blue collar individual or thug.... , YobYob Yob may refer to:* Yobbo, a working class, adolescent, male... throughout Australia and Britain, but particularly synonymous with Westie in PerthPerth, Western Australia Perth is the capital of the Australian state of Western Australia.... though in Perth it is directed towards the less affluent eastern suburbs. YobboYobbo Yobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth blue collar individual or thug.... , FeralFeral (subculture) The term "feral means wild. In Australian slang, a "feral" generally refers to a person who dresses and acts in what is seen... , 'Northern Scum' or 'Bethan' (In Reference to Adelaide's Northern Suburbs such as Elizabeth, this is on par with the Sydney description above) in AdelaideFacts About Adelaide Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in ... . DeroDero Dero can mean"detrimental robots" in the writing of Richard Sharpe Shaver... in Australia JafaJafa For other meanings of the word, see Jaffa.... , a slang term for a resident of AucklandAuckland The Auckland Metropolitan Area, or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area in ... , New Zealand. Similar terms used in other English dialects Other derogatory terms associated with stereotypes of unsophistication include: Trailer trashTrailer trash Trailer trash* is a derogatory U.S.... CrackerCracker (pejorative) Cracker was originally a pejorative term for a white person, mainly used in the Southern United States, and still is in man... HillbillyHillbilly Hillbilly is a term referring to people who dwell in remote, rural, mountainous areas.... White trashWhite trash White trash is an American ethnic slur with a social class component.... ChavChav Chav is a slang term in the United Kingdom which appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005, though the article states that... Essex girlEssex girl Essex girl is a pejorative slang term used in the United Kingdom.... Ned (Scottish)Ned (Scottish) Ned is a derogatory term applied to certain young people in Scotland.... KnackerKnacker A knacker is a person in the trade of rendering animals that are unfit for human consumption, such as work horses that have ... See also ElitismElitism Summary Elitism is the belief or attitude that the people who are considered to be the elite — a selected group of persons wit... ClassismClassism *Classism* is any form of prejudice or oppression against people who are in, or who are perceived as being like those who ... Class conflictClass conflict Class conflict is both the friction that accompanies social relationships between members or groups of different social clas... ParochialismParochialism Parochialism is the quality or state of being parochial; especially: selfish pettiness or narrowness.... Greater Western SydneyGreater Western Sydney Greater Western Sydney and Western Sydney are general terms which are used to describe the western region of the metro... Outrageous FortuneOutrageous Fortune (TV series) Outrageous Fortune is a New Zealand television drama series, produced by South Pacific Pictures in 2005 and shown by TV3 on ... External links