Emmet is a pejorative nickname that some Cornish people use to refer to the many tourists who visit Cornwall.
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It is commonly thought to be derived from the Cornish-language word for ant, being an analogy to the way in which both tourists and ants are often red in colour and appear to mill around. However the use of 'emmet' to mean ants is actually from the Cornish dialect of English and is derived from the Old English word æmete from which the modern English word ant, is also derived (compare Modern German Ameise [ant]). The Cornish word for ant is actually muryon (muryonen (p) ) [1][2][3]
Emmet is also sometimes used to refer to non-Cornish people who have moved to Cornwall. Many Cornish people consider Cornwall to be separate from England and so many of these 'emmets' are English who have relocated. This has led to some Cornish residents who consider themselves to be Cornish to display "non-emmet" car stickers.
In August 2007, Truro born Jonty Haywood created a hoax about a fictional place in North Cornwall, Porthemmet Beach (Port of Emmet), involving fake road signs and a hoax website to confuse tourists and amuse locals.[4][5][6] In July 2008 Haywood placed a further set of signs.[7]