Talk:Pikey

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The name pikey is derived from the low army rank of Pikeman. Pikemen were the front line cannon fodder in the battlefield and were usually uneducated toothless simpletons from the countryside. The term Pikey soon became slang for Pikemen.

 have a real problem with this article in it's current format. It amounts to a tabloid article. i.e. "Indicators of Pikeyness". I was tempted to put it on VFD, but I think that it really needs a complete rewrite. Mintguy (T) 08:02, 27 May 2004 (UTC)
I agree that this is a terrible article, really snobbish and virtually without any substance. I propose gutting it. Pete/Pcb21 (talk) 11:53, 30 May 2004 (UTC)
Much better now. I'd question the derivation from "turnpike" - will seek out better etymology - David Gerard 23:00, 30 May 2004 (UTC)
I've tried to expand upon the definition some, as it currently doesn't tell much to someone unfamiliar with the term. It's immensely difficult to try to write it without either being very non-NPOV or possibly even offensive, though, so I won't take any offence if people think my edits should be reverted, especially if they can do a better job! – OwenBlacker 00:42, Jun 14, 2004 (UTC)

I don't go with the conflation of pikey and chav. Certain aspects characteristic of the pikey may also be found amongst chavs, viz cheap and chunky jewellery, partly disassembled cars - but beside borrowing of the term to mock such aspects among chavs then I believe the disntinction remains81.170.39.245 22:14, 11 May 2006 (UTC)

This article makes the interesting point that "pikey" has essentially become the English word for "trailer trash". Not sure how to integrate it...

==See also==
*Trailer trash

Maybe I'm just squeamish, but it looks like an offence waiting to be taken. chocolateboy 14:03, 30 Jun 2004 (UTC)

No, I think it's entirely right to put that See Also in — that's how I ended up explaining the term to an American friend who's visiting just the other day. I'm gonna do it now. :o) — OwenBlacker 15:16, Jun 30, 2004 (UTC)

Strange to find this... At least in Norfolk (the UK) a pikey is the opposite end of the spectrum, a subculture with general skater/grunge/goth influences. This kind of pikey is known as a townie. Not sure what to do with this info, but an interesting example of geographical linguistics... --Sum0 16:13, 29 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Townie, Pikey, Chav - look at the ChavScum website and you'll find all are synonymous in that sense. Dialectual difference only... here in Bishop's Stortford, "townie" was common until chav became ubiquitous. AKismet

Contents

[edit] Pikey is actually a word discribing non-Gypsy (as in non-Romani) travellers

Pikey is actually a word discribing non-Gypsy (as in non-Romani) travellers. Romani gypsies have called non-Romani travellers as pikies for years. "Often they would often say their not gypsy their pikies" when refering to non-Romani travellers of the UK. Romani travellers would call mix-bred / halfcaste Roms as "Didikais" and non-Romani travellers as "Pikeys".

According to Romani author Manfri Frederick Wood's "In the Life of a Romany Gypsy", Pikey is also a term used for Roms expelled from the tribe / family (obviously as they are now consider non-Romani).

[edit] Seconded

I second this report - the Bermondsey gypsy families (such as the Brown clan) who added big chunks of the Rom language to Cockney certainly used it that way - they were bombed out in 1940, which is why you had the sudden appearance of the term in the London suburbs. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.241.227.84 (talk) 13:54, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Gypsies in North India?

The article is wrong and is not researched and it is presenting wrong information.

Roms ('Roma' in their own language as 'a' acts as an 's' on the end of the word) were originally from North India but there are no Roms left in India today. There are nomadic groups of people in India as there are in every country of the world but there is nothing to prove any relation with the Romani people of Europe other than they are also Indian. In Southern Asia and also the Middle East there are Ghorbati (sometimes called Domii / Doms or Zotts) who are also nomadic and of Indian origin (as are possibly the Kurds) but they speak a language of a different origin and grammar to the Roms.

The word "Gypsy" is only correctly used in reference to the Roms as it was incorrectly thought by the Europeans that the Roms were Egyptian. Gypsy literally means 'Egyptian'. Gypsy does not means 'travelling people' or any such thing.

Irish travelers who in their own language I think call themselves 'Shelta', are not Gypsy as they are of no relation to the Roms. Irish travelers speak a old backslang gaelic language and they originate from Ireland. Example of the Shelta language is boy is 'cam' from Gaelic 'mac'.

[edit] Redirect

I attempted to address some of the blending together of definitions between this and townie, chav, etc.. by redirecting to Chav. See what you think. Sam [Spade] 16:58, 7 Oct 2004 (UTC)

There may also be a connection with the word "piker"

[edit] Pikey as a Verb

ive been trying to post a meaning for it but it keeps getting deleted. im not sure why as im actualy being serious, in no way was i being racist, sexist etc why has it been removed?

[edit] UK slang?

Maybe I just wasn't paying attention, but I don't recall ever hearing this... until I moved to Ireland. (I'm not sure if this goes to it being less common in Scotland, or me not paying attention.) Alai 07:21, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

Over 70 years ago, Pikey was an affectionate name given to fellow cotton mill workers in the South. It was not racist or derogatory. Like so many other words and terms, it has been twisted and misinterpreted. ----

Must confess I only came across the term 'Pikey'once and very recently and so have looked up this article to find out more. I was visiting a friend on a travellers' site. He refers to himself as a pikey, to indicate that he has not bought into the economic and political system. In this context, the term carries ironic and subversive power. Maybe it will evolve again, as the term 'Quaker' did, and become a self-designation held with pride ... Gowerwanderer 11:13, 11 September 2007 (UTC)


I have afew pikey friends. It's always fun to hear about their trailor trash life. They know what they are... it's kinda funny.

[edit] Gillingham fans

Regarding the issue of Gillingham fans being called pikey's by opposition fans (such as Fulham, Millwall etc) - this is a true account of the situation from a Gillingham fan - i.e. me. Maybe somebody decided to remove the comments because I was changing the page without being logged in. I am looking for a suitable reference at the moment so please mark "citation needed" if you feel it necessary rather than remove my changes altogether. If no reference is added after a suitable time then by all means remove the addition. I note that there are only 3 references in the whole article so please be consistent if you want to remove unreferenced information from the page - Slimberly

[edit] Is "Did" another synonym for Pikey?

I have lived in Stanford, Bedfordshire for nearly four years. I hear the word "pikey" used to refer to gypsy families in the area. More often, I hear the word "did" (not sure of spelling) used, by people that have lived in the area for many, many years. I cannot find any written evidence, but has anyone else heard this usage? I get the impression it is being used in the same perjorative sense as "pikey".

[edit] Origin

The Oxford English Dictionary traced its use in 1837 by Times, “referring to strangers harvesting in the Isle of Sheppey island”. Later that century it meant a "turnpike traveller" or vagabond. Recently, It’s use was associated with Irish travellers and Roma Gypsies.news.bbc.co.uk, How offensive is the word 'pikey'?mirror.co.uk, Formula 1 commentator in 'pikey' Ofcom probe--Florentino floro (talk) 13:03, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Re origin

It is very possible that the term came from this and the Roms (Roma in their own language as 'a' acts like 's' on the end of a word)picked the word up as a word for non-Romani travellers.

Romani gypsies definetely use the word in association with non-Romani travellers. Old traditional Romani families would proud themselves as good people and would often explain to people that the bad travellers were Pikey travelers (non-Romani) and weren't Gypsy (Roms).

The Romani writer Manfri Frederick Wood also writes in his book that Romani Gypsies would refer to Roms caste out the clan as 'Pikies'.

If anyone has ever had the pleasure to meet real Romani Gypies of the UK then the first thing they would have noticed is how clean they are and how clean they keep their homes. By strict tradition they will not even allow pets into the living areas as animals are seen as unclean and must live seperate. They also insist on washing tea towels seperate to clothes (especially under wear as they find the thought of the two being washed together as totally disraceful).

It is from this attitude that Romani Gypsies call non-Romani travelers as dirty pikies. The term has caught on and has spread to mean dirty people.

Again I insist that there are no Gypsies living in India. Roms ('Roma' using their own literature) originate in Northern India but there is no Gypsies left in India today. The word Gypsy is a term which is short for the word 'Egyptian' as Roms were mistaken by Europeans to be Egyptian due to their brown skin.