Liverpool Luvs and Baltimore Hons

Hello all

The people of Liverpool are not aware of this but I see a relationship between the people of my birth city of Liverpool and my adoptive city of Baltimore, USA.

In fact, Baltimore was known in the 19th Century as the "Liverpool of the East Coast of America." And the parallels continue to today... both cities were big ports that grew up rapidly from virtually nothing, developing big immigrant and ethnic populations, a large working class... the terraced houses of Liverpool are the counterpart of the row houses of Baltimore.

Today the real Liverpudlians and the real Baltimoreans remain down to earth folk with a comparable great sense of humor.

I was reminded of this when I saw Gerard Fleming's photo essay on "She's a Liverpool girl" which reminded me of the "Hons" of Baltimore. (There is an annual competition in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood not far from where I live for gals to dress up as a "Hon" with beehive hairdo and big glasses, etc.)

Also you might find more that a passing resemblance between Scouse phrases as collected in Fritz Spiegl's classic Lern Yerself Scouse and "Bawlamarese."

Basically, Baltimoreans are salt-of-the-earth, down-to-earth people just like Liverpudlians. They would give you the shirt off their back.

Best regards

Chris