Fife

[slimfandango]

Are people from Fife regarded as being a bit backward or weird? Not all of them, just in general? I have heard it from various sources, but can't establish what would have brought this about.

[paddy_36]

Being a Fifer, I didn't feel qualified to answer this (when people are talking about you, you're always the last to know!) so asked someone from Inverness! He reckons it's only a central belt 'thing' - that there's no electricity in the Highlands (ho ho, not funny after the zillionth time), you support either Celtic or Rangers, you prefer either Edinburgh or Glasgow, Fifers are generally backward or weird, and the rest of Scotland barely exists...

Not sure if this helps (but like to think I'm not a backward weirdo)! Are you from Fife, slimfandango?

[kick3m0n]

Lived in Scotland all my life and never heard this said of Fifers to be honest.  I suppose it's like Edinburgh folk being snooty and unfriendly or Glaswegians being soap dodgers.  Ooops...or are they both true????

[Chillum]

I'm an Aberdonian, and I've often heard of Fifers being described as a bit on the "weird" side (pots/kettles etc.).

[cassimer]

Well as a proud member of scotland's oldest university (in Fife for those who dont know..)I cant imagine why people think Fife is 'backwards'. Seems ok to me!

[Octavius]

I remember sitting in pizza hut with a friend from Fife one day when the waiter asked if he wanted his pizza cut into 4 or 8 pieces�. he said�you better make it 4 because I�ll never manage 8.

Was he comedian.... you bet.

[slimfandango]

Phew, glad I didn't cause offence...I was getting a bit worried there, going through the answers, when I saw Glasgow and Edinburgh thrown into the mix.
Cassimer, you old St Andrean you, I would say it is hardest for you out of anyone here to judge, since, let's be honest, it's hard to draw proper judgement about Fifers, when the majority to whom you are exposed have a deep seated hatred for the local student populous. I took that as my starting point, and worked outwards. It is VERY hard to develop a 'clean' approach to this kind of study: if you have it in your mind that someone from a certain area may have a certain trait, your stereotype/confirmation bias will make it hard for you to be objective. Trying to correct for this, I'll be honest....although a temporary resident (4 years, St Andrews, though although scottish, never claimed to be a fifer, being a soapophobe) I just knew there was something different there...I met lots of lovely people who bucked the trend, but I did feel there was a pervading spirit of distrust, rancour, dislike of the outsider. And I don't see any reason why a mechanism for this shouldn't exist: cultural memes can spread pretty quickly.

[paddy_36]

Some of the comments posted put the original question in a new light... There is definitely a rest-of-Fife thing about St. Andrews generally, not just the student population. This is purely speculation, but I think maybe St. Andrews was always a bit of an odd-one-out in Fife, and is perceived as slightly 'snobby' because of its academic heritage in a mainly mining/farming region. (I've heard quite a few people call it 'Little England' too, but usually in jest!)

[slimfandango]

The place is unbelievable...as a scotsperson you feel like you've invaded a commuter belt hamlet that happens to have the cast of Will & Grace visiting that day.
Cassimer, by the way my comments werent' directed at you, but at 'one'. I'm sure your insight into Fifedom is as valid as the next.
I was flicking through a set of acronyms used by GPs, when I found 'NFF' (normal for Fife) being shown as one in common usage. Not sure exactly what it refers to. Maybe they mean 'obviously has a sound cultural heritage ' ;-)

[caramba22242]

We have a saying in Falkirk, the rightful capital of   Scotland that "you need a long spoon tae sup wi' a Fifer"

This means that they are in general a parcel of soap dodging, miserly rogues who wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were on fire.