Questions About The Nursing Home Murder (Roderick Alleyn, #3)

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Marsh refers to a person helping nurses clean up after the operation as 'the scally.' I have searched lists of British slang and find no explanation of this term. Does anyone know what it means?

Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) I found this definition with one quick Google, on several sites: "Scally is a derogatory term used in the Northwest of England especially around Liver…moreI found this definition with one quick Google, on several sites: "Scally is a derogatory term used in the Northwest of England especially around Liverpool. Roughly synonymous with Chav or Ned.The term is associated with youth with a particular style of dress. The term denotes "a roguish, boisterous, disruptive or irresponsible male", and is derived from "Scallywag", meaning "a disreputable person".

It is true that before the NHS, orderlies and under-nurses were percieved to have come from the dregs of society, the sort of person who couldn't get anything else. I've read some British nursing memoirs and the training available to under-nurses and such was pretty darn basic, which may have something to do with that perception.(less)

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