why a mackem?

[Lucysdad]

why is it people from sunderland are referred to as mackems?

[muncy]

This word was featured on a BBC programme recently when they tried to get the word into the OED.

http://www.oed.com/bbcwordhunt/list.html#macke m

One theory, and the one I like, is that is from shipbuilding days. The folk in Sunderland made the ships and took them to Newcastle to be fitted out. Make 'em and take 'em became mackem and tackem hence, mackems.

[Nummy]

On Monday 9th January, Sunderland born broadcasting legend Mike 'The Mouth' Elliott appeared on the BBC2 programme "Balderdash & Piffle" to plead the case that the word 'Mackem' should be included in the Oxford English Dictionary - and he succeeded! Here is the definition of a Mackem as it will appear in the new dictionary:

Mackem, n

Brit. / mak m/, U.S. / m�k m/ Forms: 19- Mackem, 19- Makem. [App. < mack, mak, regional variants of MAKE v.1 + 'EM pron.
Prob. with allusion to phrase mack' em and tack 'em and variations thereof, said to refer to the shipbuilding industry of the region, the suggestion being that in Sunderland they make ships (mack 'em) so that others can take them (tack 'em), or, specifically, that the Geordies of Tyneside would then take them to fit them out. Cf.:
1973 Centenary Programme: Sunderland v Dolphins (Sunderland Cricket & Rugby Football Club), We still 'tak 'em and mak 'em and ye canna whack 'em'.
Perh. partly also with allusion to the pronunciation of MAKE v.1 typical of Wearside, as contrasted with that of Tyneside.]

Brit. colloq. (orig. Eng. regional (north-east.)).

A native or inhabitant of Sunderland or Wearside; a supporter of Sunderland Association Football Club.

1988 Sunderland Echo 17 Oct. 6/4 Five children and seven grandchildren, all Mack-ems. 1989 Love Supreme Sept. 13/2 Please consider my 'makems' phrase guide to Gallowgate. 1996 Sunday Mirror (Nexis) 1 Sept. 57 All hell breaks loose after the ref sends the Sunderland man off. 'This is too much for the Mackems, they come swarming onto the pitch.' 1999 J. C. BEAL Eng. Pronunc. in Eighteenth Cent. v. 103 The good citizens of Newcastle are aware and proud of their h-fulness: they believe that this is another instance of their inherent superiority to the 'Mackems' (citizens of Sunderland). 2003 F. WHEATLEY in C. Pennant Terrace Legends 224 He's a proud Makem who defends his

[Nummy]

Part 2

2003 F. WHEATLEY in C. Pennant Terrace Legends 224 He's a proud Makem who defends his friends and team with honour.

(courtesy of www.sun-fm.com)

[jenstar]

Can I just correct one small point - both respondents so far have said that the TV programme was trying to get "mackem" into the OED. Actually the word was already in, the purpose of the programme was to establish where the word came from.