Love it or loathe it, the word 'ned' has been a well-worn component of the Glasgow lexicon for as long as any of us can remember.
While labelling someone a 'ned' is often criticised for being demeaning and offensive to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the word has certainly endured in popular culture.
From being repeatedly lampooned in comedies such as Chewin’ the Fat and Still Game to being the subject of a 2010 coming-of-age drama, Neds, by Peter Mullan, the notorious subculture of Buckfast-swilling hoodlums who dress in casual sportswear and speak in a distinct, nasal tone, has been well-referenced down the years.
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But when it comes to pinning down the precise origins of the word ned, and when and why it first came to be uttered and associated with young Glasgow ne'er-do-wells, there is great debate.
Definitions
First off, let's take a look at the official dictionary definition of the word.
Despite 'ned' being well established in Scotland at the time, the word was not officially recognised by the Oxford English Dictionary until 2001, and was loosely defined as someone who was a hooligan or petty criminal, or "a stupid or loutish boy or man".
Likened to popular English words such as 'chav' and 'scally' that are essentially modern takes on words like hooligan and ruffian, the Cambridge Dictionary defines ned as a Scots slang word for a young person who behaves in a rude and sometimes violent or criminal way.
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Similarly, Collins English Dictionary and Dictionary.com list ned as a derogatory term for "a young working-class person who dresses in casual sports clothes".
However, while neds are often associated with the wearing of brand names, white sports caps and shell suits, the origin of the word far predate such clothing items.
Ned Kelly link?
One dubious theory behind the etymology of the word ned is that it's an acronym for "non-educated delinquent". Others say the word is a contraction of ne'er-do-well or Neanderthal, or that it was coined in the 1950s as a Scottish form to describe purveyors of the Teddy Boy phenomenon, commonly known as "Teds". Each of these suggestions is wide of the mark.
With the word thought to have been in use since the 19th century, it could be likely that the word ned, which happens to be the shortened form of the name Edward, was created as a nod to the murderous Australian outlaw Edward 'Ned' Kelly (1854-1880).
The Oxford English Dictionary, while free from connecting Ned Kelly to the Glasgow word as we know it, at least agrees that 'ned' is possibly derived from Edward and has been used in Scotland as a synonym for hooligan or lout since at least the 19th century.
As one of the last bushrangers, Kelly was a notoriously violent young gang leader, whose notoriety stretched around the English-speaking world through media reports. Is it possible that Ned Kelly's name was used in 19th century Glasgow as a descriptive term for a young troublemaker? Stranger things have happened.
Article first published on July 27, 2022
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