Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a native of Birmingham, UK, thus used as a nickname.

1850		Bell’s Life in Sydney 17 Aug. 1/5: Our Boy here booked the fight as won by Brummy [i.e. ‘The Birmingham Slasher’].
1864		J. Armour Diggings, the Bush, and Melbourne 16: The ill-looking rascal [...] went by the name of ‘Brummie’.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 55/1: One night there was a raffle for Little Brummy, the ‘wire’.
1876		Manchester Courier 5 Aug. 5/5: I am sorry to see the death announced of an old friend of mine. His name was Brummy.
1888		South Wales Dly News 14 Mar. 3/8: ‘Dublin Tommy,’ a pugilist from Cardiff [...] has been identified as the man who assulated the referee, ‘Brummy’ Meadows.
1895		Edinburgh Eve. News 18 July 4/7: Now I feel just as sure as I’m sure that my name isn’t Brummagem, Brummagem, Brummy!
1906		E. Dyson In Roaring Fifties 151: They’ve got Brummy the Nut there. [...] Brummy is a lag who had all the sensibilities battered out of him in the quarries.
1917		Rising Sun 1 Feb. 1/2: Awake! for Brummy has the fire alight [...] And put the hard word on a chum for beers; / To-morrow, why to-morrow I may be— / In Blighty.
1917		Birmingham Mail 28 Sept. 4/3: [picture cpation] Chorus of Brummies. Here’s a jolly good luck to the Lady Mayoress’ Fund and old Brum. They don’t forget us — Not ’arf!
1928		Townsville Daily Bull. (Qld) 25 Feb. 14/2: Now Brummy hadn’t been long in Australia [...] Brummy had done his bit in France when the Kaiser’s crowd went looney.
1933		M. Marshall Tramp-Royal on the Toby 123: Scores of Scotties, Paddies, Taffies, Brummies, Yorkies, and Yellow Bellies.
1951		Portsmouth Eve. News 18 July 3/1: I can very safely tell ‘Brummy’ how really wrong he is.
1964		P. Terson Night to Make the Angels Weep (1967) II xvi: Them Brummies. Suck arsin’ to them Brummies.
1983		A. Payne ‘Willesden Suite’ Minder [TV script] 32: I’m a brummy, could you tell?
1993		I. Welsh Trainspotting 302: You used to get Geordies and Scousers and Brummies and Cockneys at the Uni.
2011		G. Knight Hood Rat 136: We’re outnumbered by Brummies. Every maggot in here sounds like Ozzy Osbourne.
2016		BBC Radio4 Saturday Live 23 Jan. [radio script] I’m just an ordinary Brummie who works with his hands.

2. Birmingham.

1824		W. Irving Letters II (1869) 45: I shall pass a couple of days at Bath and then go on to Brummy.
1834		C. Matthews letter 20 Jan. in Life & Corresp. (1860) 412: Brummy, Wednesday. Though I am upon the wing to get out of this dull town [etc.].
1867		J.K. Paulding Literary Life 71: Mr. Clay speaks of spending some time at Brummy, [Birmingham], with Harry Van Wart.

3. an item of costume jewelry.

1907

Sun. Times (Perth) 10 Mar. 4/8: When flirting and frisking with Flossie and Flo, / To deck them with trinkets he yearned, / But when he woke up with a head full of woe, / He wanted his Brummies returned.