Tourist - annoying visitor, who disrupts the lives of residents.
One theory on the origin of this wordis from the name of the famous Swiss clown, Grock, famous in the 60's. A resident of Torquay was said to have remarked that visitors resembled grockles, little Grocks, because of their boorishness and clownish behaviour.
The word in fact originated from a strip cartoon in the children's comic Dandy entitled 'Danny and his Grockle'. (The grockle was a magical dragon-like creature.) A local man had used the term as a nickname for a small elderly lady who was in Torquay one season. The term then became generalized as a term for summer visitors.
The term became popularized because of its use by the characters in the film The System (1962), which is set in the Devon resort of Torquay during the tourist season.
One theory on the origin of this wordis from the name of the famous Swiss clown, Grock, famous in the 60's. A resident of Torquay was said to have remarked that visitors resembled grockles, little Grocks, because of their boorishness and clownish behaviour.
The word in fact originated from a strip cartoon in the children's comic Dandy entitled 'Danny and his Grockle'. (The grockle was a magical dragon-like creature.) A local man had used the term as a nickname for a small elderly lady who was in Torquay one season. The term then became generalized as a term for summer visitors.
The term became popularized because of its use by the characters in the film The System (1962), which is set in the Devon resort of Torquay during the tourist season.
"Bloody Grockles and their caravans, always jamming up the Devon lanes!"
"The seagulls are a real problem because all the grockles feed 'em chips all summer."
"The seagulls are a real problem because all the grockles feed 'em chips all summer."
by Rich Pharo June 22, 2005
A holidaymaker, or one from out of town. Particularly used in the South of England, generally as a mildly derogatory term.
by Darren Jones December 29, 2004
A holiday maker, but one from outside the local vicinity, i.e. someone holidaying in Christchurch who's from Southampton isn't a grockle. Term used on the south coast and has spread eastwards, stopping at Southampton water. Most commonly heard in the solent town of Lymington where it's used as an insult towards ignorant and usually posh tourists, those with caravans, those with five kids, a dog and granddad tagging along and those that have been coming to the town for twenty years and think they know/own the place. Most commonly heard amongst fed-up shopworkers and working-class locals. Tends not to be applied to foreign tourists as these generally tend to be considerate people when travelling and don't make a nuisance of themselves.
by I Love Tarquin October 26, 2007
one who pays the wages of many young people in sea-side/picturesque towns.
one who enables a lot of businesses in sea-side/picturesque towns to remain open, when they would have otherwise died.
one who enables a lot of businesses in sea-side/picturesque towns to remain open, when they would have otherwise died.
shop-keep- "heads up, grockle in store"
grockle spends up big.
shop-keep makes small profit on sale.
grockle spends up big.
shop-keep makes small profit on sale.
by boggis maximus February 7, 2009
The combined sound of snorting hard that wad of mucus or phlegm or lunger or its medical name "paranasal tubercular sinus oyster" from nose to back of throat then adjusting position by teasing it around the soft palate prior to firing forcefully from mouth (or, er, swallowing).
Derived from grolly, loogie and hockle.
Spit it out to produce a pavement oyster
Derived from grolly, loogie and hockle.
Derived from grolly, loogie and hockle.
Spit it out to produce a pavement oyster
Derived from grolly, loogie and hockle.
by Piemanius May 15, 2008
Anyone who is not a member of the upper class / middle-upper class (vast majority of the country then). Can be described as "common" and also relates to 'riff-raff' and 'pleb'. Derogatory meaning, basically a more diplomatic word for chav or simply someone of a low social standing, not very well-off financially and not accustomed to the finer things in life.
"I was horrified when I arrived at Puerto Banus near Marbella, I'd heard it was very exclusive but it was FULL of grockles"
by El.P. August 28, 2006
That Grockle Tub has over 4000 passengers.
by Lord Richards December 9, 2017