Queen (n.): woman, old woman; term of address to woman. ‘Yis, I know queen’ (Jacques 1977: n.p.). ‘Then he says, “Tarra queen”’ (Brown 1989: 66). ‘Kate was glad to see her and called her “queen”’ (Sinclair 1999 [1930s–e.40s]: 80). ‘Ahl queen dropped me change’ (Griffiths 2003: 61). ‘You'll be needin’ that ye self, Queen’ (Sanders and Sanders 2009 [1960s]: 144). Recorded in this weakened sense from 16c.; often used with affection or respect in Liverpool.

Queen Anne front and Mary Ann back (phr.): pretentiously deceptive. ‘Queen Anne front an’ Mury Ann back: Said of a woman considered uppish … [and] of a house thought to be all show with nothing behind it’ (Lane 1966: 87). ‘She's Queen Anne front – Mury Ann back She is all show and pretence’ (Spiegl 2000b: 57). *NR; the force of the phrase lies in the incongruity between ‘Queen Anne’ and a Mary Ann.

Queen of the wash-house (n.): a gossip. ‘Queen o’ ther wash-house: An authoritative gossip; a persistent scandal-monger’ (Lane 1966: 87). *NR; apparently pejorative, though the term could refer to someone of significant social status since the wash-house was a crucial centre of working-class women's lives, and a good source of news was highly valued.

Queenie (n.): an ‘effeminate’ man. ‘Queenie: an effeminate male’ (Lane 1966: 87). Recorded from e.20c.; an Americanism. Queer (n.): derogatory term for male homosexual. ‘It was becoming a reflex, spitting at queers’ (Hignett 1966: 272). ‘Homosexual. Shirtlifter, Punk, Queer, Turd burglar’ (Minard 1972: 89). Recorded from e.20c.; from ‘queer’, ‘strange, odd’; the term was used until its recent reappropriation.

Queer feller/quare feller (n.): strange, odd fellow; whatshisname. ‘He's a queer feller’ (Hanley 1932: 81). ‘A feckless acquaintance is “the queer feller” (or “the quare feller”)’ (Farrell 1950b: 4). ‘De quare feller in de green gansey’ (Whittington-Egan 1955c: 216). ‘Queer (or quare) feller: Whozit, whatsizname’ (Lane 1966: 87). ‘The queer feller himself clocks in’ (Brown 1989: 6).