Crusties
Encyclopedia
Crusties is a term for members of an urban subculture
, with roots in punk
and grebo. The term pre-dates crust punk
and can be used independently. The trend was most widespread in the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s but there are also international subsets.
, road protests, squatting
, rave
s and begging
. Typical dress styles involve dreadlocks, piercings, tattoos and dirty clothing (generally second-hand or army surplus).
Crusties have been been described as being typically unemployed youth with no permanent home, although the group obviously has no formal definition or membership conditions. Some are an urban version of the New Age Traveller
and so may have relatively settled long-term homes.
term used in body piercing
for the dried, crusty leakage from a new piercing. In the Bath, Somerset and Bristol
areas of England
a crusty is a derogatory term for any homeless person. The term crusty to mean surly or lazy dates back to at least the mid eighteenth century in Somerset.
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
, with roots in punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
and grebo. The term pre-dates crust punk
Crust punk
Crust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills...
and can be used independently. The trend was most widespread in the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s but there are also international subsets.
Background
Crusties are distinctive for their unkempt appearance. They are associated with anti-capitalismAnti-capitalism
Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements, ideas, and attitudes which oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists, in the strict sense of the word, are those who wish to completely replace capitalism with another system....
, road protests, squatting
Squatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
, rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
s and begging
Begging
Begging is to entreat earnestly, implore, or supplicate. It often occurs for the purpose of securing a material benefit, generally for a gift, donation or charitable donation...
. Typical dress styles involve dreadlocks, piercings, tattoos and dirty clothing (generally second-hand or army surplus).
Crusties have been been described as being typically unemployed youth with no permanent home, although the group obviously has no formal definition or membership conditions. Some are an urban version of the New Age Traveller
New age travellers
New Age Travellers are groups of people who often espouse New Age or hippie beliefs and travel between music festivals and fairs in order to live in a community with others who hold similar beliefs. Their transport and homes consist of vans, lorries, buses, narrowboats and caravans converted into...
and so may have relatively settled long-term homes.
Other usages
The term 'crusties' is also a slangSlang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term used in body piercing
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
for the dried, crusty leakage from a new piercing. In the Bath, Somerset and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
areas of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
a crusty is a derogatory term for any homeless person. The term crusty to mean surly or lazy dates back to at least the mid eighteenth century in Somerset.