Why are Nordies so dour?

JohnnyFlash · 04-09-2019 4:06pm #1

I’ve had the misfortune of being up North for the past 2 days. Now we all know about the terrible roads, the flags, the grey and dilapidated towns, the run down chippers and off-licences everywhere; the lousy sense of humour, the shocking standard of basic spelling and grammar skills amongst the people, the depressing murals, and so on and so forth.

What baffles me the most though is how dour the people are up here. It’s not exactly rudeness or unfriendliness either, but this aura they give off. Like the weight of the world is on their ample shoulders (obesity is a real problem up here as well). Life appears to be lacking in any levity or zest for them. Where a smile looks like it’s causing them some discomfort.

Has anyone noticed this as well? I mean we can all go speculating as to the reasons for it, but that’s the sort of uninteresting thread best suited to boring oddball obsessives in the current affairs forum. I’m looking for us to share experiences of meeting, conversing, and dealing with dour Nordies.

topper75 · 04-09-2019 4:07pm

Presbyterianism.
No known cure at present.
Very sad.

Infernal Racket · 04-09-2019 4:09pm

The fleeeeegs

Bigus · 04-09-2019 4:09pm

I’ve found them nearly always to be extremely well balanced, .........massive chips, on both shoulders.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 04-09-2019 4:09pm

Depends on where in the North you are. I meet some of them most week's and they're great craic, friendly and interesting.

The Satanist · 04-09-2019 4:10pm

Your man Arlene Foster is an awful eejit altogether

GBX · 04-09-2019 4:12pm

Its to do with eating all that odd form of Tayto crisps

kneemos · 04-09-2019 4:14pm

The bitterness has been bet into them for generations.

rgmmg · 04-09-2019 4:15pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’ve had the misfortune of being up North for the past 2 days. Now we all know about the terrible roads, the flags, the grey and dilapidated towns, the run down chippers and off-licences everywhere; the lousy sense of humour, the shocking standard of basic spelling and grammar skills amongst the people, the depressing murals, and so on and so forth.

What baffles me the most though is how dour the people are up here. It’s not exactly rudeness or unfriendliness either, but this aura they give off. Like the weight of the world is on their ample shoulders (obesity is a real problem up here as well). Life appears to be lacking in any levity or zest for them. Where a smile looks like it’s causing them some discomfort.

Has anyone noticed this as well? I mean we can all go speculating as to the reasons for it, but that’s the sort of uninteresting thread best suited to boring oddball obsessives in the current affairs forum. I’m looking for us to share experiences of meeting, conversing, and dealing with dour Nordies.

Probably because you speak with a Southern accent :pac:

I was born in the North and grew up in the South.

Life seems a bit tougher up there but most folk are more straight talking and don't have as much time for the waffle as those south of the border.

maccored · 04-09-2019 4:26pm

ah stop the whinging. why do southerners whinge and complain so much? You should have had the RUC rather than the guards ... that'd tighten ye

Hamsterchops · 04-09-2019 4:38pm

Its a Scottish trait isn't it?

EmmetSpiceland · 04-09-2019 4:39pm

Have been “Up North” a few times but rarely enjoy staying for too long.

The “Titanic museum” and the “Giant’s Causeway” are worth a visit but driving through town after town with kerbs painted blue, white and red, as well as the bunting, are very unwelcoming, to say the least.

Having a barman, or some barfly, growl at you about how “we call it Magners here in the UK” is another “off putting” element of the stay.

I’m sure there’s some lovely “spots” up there, probably hard to find, but one place that should be, particularly, avoided is “Portadown”. A town full of ignorance and malice.

I should point out that I haven’t received any real “hassle” from the loyalist/unionist side but, by god, the amount of time you have to waste listening to “nationalists” griping at you, you personally, for “leaving them behind” and “not caring”. It’s ridiculous.

Ridiculous and sad.

Jimmy McGill · 04-09-2019 4:40pm

Most of them have a massive chip on their shoulder in my experience. Just as bad as people from Cork.

Conall Cernach · 04-09-2019 4:41pm

God be with the days when the North had the better roads.

lawred2 · 04-09-2019 4:42pm

Warrenpoint is a nice town

JohnnyFlash · 04-09-2019 4:44pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Have been “Up North” a few times but rarely enjoy staying for too long.

The “Titanic museum” and the “Giant’s Causeway” are worth a visit but driving through town after town with kerbs painted blue, white and red, as well as the bunting, are very unwelcoming, to say the least.

Having a barman, or some barfly, growl at you about how “we call it Magners here in the UK” is another “off putting” element of the stay.

I’m sure there’s some lovely “spots” up there, probably hard to find, but one place that should be, particularly, avoided is “Portadown”. A town full of ignorance and malice.

I should point out that I haven’t received any real “hassle” from the loyalist/unionist side but, by god, the amount of time you have to waste listening to “nationalists” griping at you, you personally, for “leaving them behind” and “not caring”. It’s ridiculous.

Ridiculous and sad.

Just noticed that Portadown is an anagram of A Prod Town.

Can’t say I’ve ever visited the place, or heard much about it.

Dial Hard · 04-09-2019 4:44pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Have been “Up North” a few times but rarely enjoy staying for too long.

Why do you use so many quotation marks in your posts? Genuine question!

D3V!L · 04-09-2019 4:44pm

I love the North and I find the people warm and welcoming. I'm really confused by this thread.

ELM327 · 04-09-2019 4:46pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

Why do you use so many quotation marks in your posts? Genuine question!

Why are "you" so "curious"

Dial Hard · 04-09-2019 4:48pm

ELM327 wrote: »

Why are "you" so "curious"

Cause they're totally superfluous and I find it curious.

Liamalone · 04-09-2019 4:50pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Just noticed that Portadown is an anagram of A Prod Town.

Can’t say I’ve ever visited the place, or heard much about it.

I very much doubt that you've just noticed that, probably half the reason you started this bitter thread. Is da first time dat I has herd it and I live up ear.

Boom_Bap · 04-09-2019 4:51pm

D3V!L wrote: »

I love the North and I find the people warm and welcoming. I'm really confused by this thread.

Yeah I'm a fan as well....apart from the tailgating. Rampant tailgating.

I should just open the boot next time I'm up there and invite people to park in it.

JohnnyFlash · 04-09-2019 4:52pm

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Yeah I'm a fan as well....apart from the tailgating. Rampant tailgating.

I should just open the boot next time I'm up there and invite people to park in it.

In fairness, lots of Nordies are used to stuffing things into the boot of a car.....

EmmetSpiceland · 04-09-2019 4:53pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Just noticed that Portadown is an anagram of A Prod Town.

Can’t say I’ve ever visited the place, or heard much about it.

Haha, very good, J. And fairly accurate. I’ve heard it called “Prod-a-down” before. Best avoided.

There’s not a lot of humour up there, to be honest. Honestly, you’ve got “Frank Carson”, “Give My Head Peace” and “The Blame Game”. All pretty much terrible.

“The Blame Game” in particular. Nordies doing screeching “impressions” of other Nordies with Neil Delaware looking confused but laughing along.

Terrible television.

D3V!L · 04-09-2019 4:55pm

We're not talking about North Korea by any chance are we ?

Boom_Bap · 04-09-2019 4:56pm

D3V!L wrote: »

We're not talking about North Korea by any chance are we ?

Lovely this time of year

Lewis_Benson · 04-09-2019 4:58pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’ve had the misfortune of being up North for the past 2 days. Now we all know about the terrible roads, the flags, the grey and dilapidated towns, the run down chippers and off-licences everywhere; the lousy sense of humour, the shocking standard of basic spelling and grammar skills amongst the people, the depressing murals, and so on and so forth.

What baffles me the most though is how dour the people are up here. It’s not exactly rudeness or unfriendliness either, but this aura they give off. Like the weight of the world is on their ample shoulders (obesity is a real problem up here as well). Life appears to be lacking in any levity or zest for them. Where a smile looks like it’s causing them some discomfort.

Has anyone noticed this as well? I mean we can all go speculating as to the reasons for it, but that’s the sort of uninteresting thread best suited to boring oddball obsessives in the current affairs forum. I’m looking for us to share experiences of meeting, conversing, and dealing with dour Nordies.

All depends where you go.
Belfast is a lovely city and you'll find some of the friendliest people you're likely to meet there.

You have to remember the normal joe blogs there were likely to have their car/house/place of work bombed for a very long time, and are probabaly wary of it going back to that again.

NSAman · 04-09-2019 4:59pm

Why are they dour? If you had a whiny annoying accent like they do, you would be dour too!

gmisk · 04-09-2019 5:00pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I’ve had the misfortune of being up North for the past 2 days. Now we all know about the terrible roads, the flags, the grey and dilapidated towns, the run down chippers and off-licences everywhere; the lousy sense of humour, the shocking standard of basic spelling and grammar skills amongst the people, the depressing murals, and so on and so forth.

What baffles me the most though is how dour the people are up here. It’s not exactly rudeness or unfriendliness either, but this aura they give off. Like the weight of the world is on their ample shoulders (obesity is a real problem up here as well). Life appears to be lacking in any levity or zest for them. Where a smile looks like it’s causing them some discomfort.

Has anyone noticed this as well? I mean we can all go speculating as to the reasons for it, but that’s the sort of uninteresting thread best suited to boring oddball obsessives in the current affairs forum. I’m looking for us to share experiences of meeting, conversing, and dealing with dour Nordies.

Sounds to me like you were in Ballymena or Larne....I am sorry you had to go through that.

Generally norn iron people are grand I happen to be one so I am definitely biased...like pretty much everyone else up there...

JohnnyFlash · 04-09-2019 5:01pm

Lewis_Benson wrote: »

All depends where you go.
Belfast is a lovely city and you'll find some of the friendliest people you're likely to meet there.

You have to remember the normal joe blogs there were likely to have their car/house/place of work bombed for a very long time, and are probabaly wary of it going back to that again.

Belfast is an interesting city to spend a day or two in, but it certainly isn’t a lovely city. It has that grotty and gritty vibe that you also find in places like Holyhead, Hull, and Blackpool.

BDI · 04-09-2019 5:06pm

I have found from my time in the building trade that northern Irish people are the most likely people to tell you they seen a gay person the night before in a pub they were in. Dublin is shocking bad for it apparently.

Of course I have seen or heard of people from all over the country being homophobic but in work at 10 in the morning, eating a breakfast roll and worrying about Dublin’s soul.

Why are Nordies so dour?

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