Top Ten Greatest Old Man Insults

Ten Great 'Old Man' Insults

Put the kettle on and start eating some water crackers with lard on them. Just to get in the mood for this one…

Ten Great 'Old Man' Insults

Nincompoop: Is said to come from the Latin legal and medical term Non Compos Mentis meaning ‘not of sound mind’. This evolved into nincompoop meaning a stupid or dumb person.

Flibbertigibbet: A flighty or whimsical person, usually (and in a sexist way) refers to a young woman. Still in use in Yorkshire and refers to a gossipy or overly talkative person.

Fustilugs: A fat, lazy or slovenly person.

Ten Great 'Old Man' Insults

Snaggletooth: A low bred woman possessing terrible teeth.

Scalliwag: A rascal child who behaves badly but is more amusing than harmful.

Rampallion: A ruffian or a scoundrel. Created by Shakespeare in Henry IV when Falstaff exclaims ‘Away, you scullion, you rampallion. I’ll tickle your catastrophe’. (So a lot older than your grandpa, but nonetheless amusing).

Muck snipe: A vagrant, degenerate or a person of low morals.

Moldwarp: A Middle English word meaning earth-thrower. Comes from Old Saxon moldwerp.

Curmudgeon: A bad tempered and cantankerous person.
A Dirty Puzzle: A woman of loose morals (insulting but still colourful)
Mumblenews: Another Shakespearean insult meaning someone who tells tall tales, a gossip.

I hope that you’ve learned a thing or two about how to be a miserable old bastard. Let me know your favourite insults from the olden days…

Published by Content Catnip

Content Catnip is a quirky internet wunderkammer written by an Intergalactic Space Māori named Content Catnip. Join me as I meander through the quirky and curious aspects of history, indigenous spirituality, the natural world, animals, art, storytelling, books, philosophy, travel, Māori culture and loads more.

6 thoughts on “Top Ten Greatest Old Man Insults

    1. Yes I know! the mind boggles. I looked it up just now and it’s a quote from James Joyce’s Ulysses, it means that when things go wrong or unexpectedly, you should just run with it and let nature take its course. A good one!

      Like

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