I was talking this weekend to some friends about the Mudcat, and particularly about "What's a Geordie".

Living 40 miles or so south of Geordie-land we take it for-granted that everyone knows that a Geordie is someone from Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Anyway, one of the group, Anne Alderson, has the origin of the term "Geordie". George Stephenson (of Stephenson's Rocket) invented the first miner's safety lamp, which worked by shielding the naked flame & thus keeping it away from explosive gasses.

This was first used by coal-miners in the Northumberland coal-fields... Hence "Geordie" - one who uses a George (Geordie) Stephenson miner's safety lamp - hence a Newcastle miner - hence a native of Newcastle.

Cheers

Paul