Emmet (alt spellings emmit or emit) is a pejorative nickname that some Cornish people use to refer to the non-Cornish. It originally referred to tourists who visit Cornwall but has also been used by native Cornish Folk to refer to "incomers" or residents who have moved to the county but were not born there. The more usual term "blowins" is used by the Cornish to describe new residents from outside Cornwall. The related terms Overner and Overlander are used on the Isle of Wight to refer to outsiders from the mainland, who are viewed with similar levels of suspicion.
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Etymology
It is commonly thought to be derived from the Cornish-language word for ant, being an analogy to the way in which both tourists and ants are often red in colour and appear to mill around. However the use of 'emmet' to mean ants is actually from the Cornish dialect of English and is derived from the Old English word æmete from which the modern English word ant, is also derived (compare Modern German Ameise [ant]). The Cornish word for ant is actually moryonenn (pl. moryon)
Porthemmet Beach hoax
In August 2007, Truro-born Jonty Haywood began promoting the fictional Porthemmet (Port of Emmet) beach in North Cornwall with fake road signs and a hoax website, confusing tourists and amusing locals. In July 2008 Haywood placed a further set of signs.