Spide

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Image:Belfast loyalist mural 1.jpg Spide is a pejorative slang term, used in Northern Ireland, particularly in Belfast to describe a person who has a particular dress code and attitude. Stereotypically spides are young unemployed male adults.

There are many negative perceptions associated with the term. These include allegations that they engage in anti-social behaviour. They are also often seen as boy racers, who loiter in car parks and public places playing music loudly from modified cars with up-rated hi-fi's. Many wear Berghaus or Burberry fleeces, fake jewellery, tracksuits (usually in light colours), white trainers and baseball caps (often New York Yankees). Like their English counterparts, they typically listen to Rave or Dance Music. Many also support English Premiership soccer teams and frequently bear their jersey, this also reflects on the fact that most play soccer or Gaelic Games as opposed to other popular games (rugby,cricket and tennis).

The adjective form "spidey" is also common. The much older term "millie" is sometimes used as an equivalent to describe female spides.

[edit] Origin of the term

The term is thought to have originated in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time "tartan gangs" were popular in Belfast. Due to the tartan patterns of their jeans, they gained the nickname "spidermen", later shortened to spide. [1] Whilst the tartan gangs of the time were closely associated with the UDA and UYM, the term spide is applied to youths from both the loyalist and republican communities, and appears to be wholly without sectarian bias. Commonly spides support the paramilitary organisations of their background, such as the UDA or IRA.

[edit] Synonyms from other dialects

The term pre-dates "chav" (originally slang from south-east England, now widespread in the UK media) by at least a decade, and while the description is similar it is not identical.

Other synonymous slang terms used are: