"Numpty" is not uncommon - popularised by Ian Botham, a prominent sportsman turned broadcaster and charity worker.
"Barmpot" may be a more localised word, possibly in the north of England. Someone is "barmy" if they're crazy or, as a former Labour leader has called the present one, "nutty".
Here in Bonnie Scotland the word is Bampot, sometimes shortened to just Bam.
The meaning is stupid, idiot, numbskull, plonker, numpty, headcase, nutter, etc
When one meets someone called "Tam the Bam". One is extremely careful.
I have never heard the words plonker or numpty let alone Bampot.
It's no surprise that you haven't heard these before. These are very British slang words. I think useage of the word plonker originally came about in the 19th century but became highly popular following its frequent use in the very funny TV sitcom, Only Fools and Horses.
Actually, we have adopted an American word over here which is used to portray the same meaning as numpty and Bampot, and that's 'muppet'. I use this a lot myself.
The word I recall from my soccer days 40 years ago was "balmy" (which is how we Canadians wrote it). The Brits used the same word but pronounced with their accents more like how it is written here, "barmy".
To me, "nutty" is distinctly American, "nutter" British" and "nuts" Canadian".
"Numpty" I've only ever heard from 2 older Scottish women, and immediately thought (although I have no evidence of the origin) that it was a combination of "numbskull" and "empty (headed)".
"Muppet" seems to be the favourite non-swearword used by Gordon Ramsay to show his disdain for people.
"Plonker" I always thought meant "a down-hill drunk", from "we drank some cheap plonk (booze)".
Now, back to stamps...
Dave.
" "Plonker" I always thought meant "a down-hill drunk", from "we drank some cheap plonk (booze)". "
Scottish politicians speaking about an American politician:
"described him as a “clay-brained guts, a knotty-pated fool.â€"
It's a quote from Henry IV Part 1 where Prince Hal is having a go at Falstaff:
Why, thou claybrained guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou whoreson, obscene, greasy tallow-catch -
Slightly off-topic, but there was a TV programme here in the UK recently where there were trotted out a selection of words and expressions in common English use today which were alledgedly invented by Shakespeare in his efforts to reinforce the language in his plays.
Regrettably I can't remember any off the top of my head, but I do remember being struck by the topicality of some of the words/phrases used. Either he had a broad imagination or English in the 16th century was richer than the textspeak prevalent today.
Malcolm
Shakespeare is THE genius of the English language he's had a profound impact on our present day speech patterns second only to the bible.
Partial list of expressions coined by Shakespeare :
http://www.pathguy.com/shakeswo.htm
"Either he had a broad imagination or English in the 16th century was richer than the textspeak prevalent today."
"..... English in the 16th century was considerably richer than today' ...."
Perhaps the language is just as rich, even more so, fuller, more complex and infinitely more flexible, but the speakers are just increasingly indolent in its usage.
OMG, WTF, LOL, ROTHLMAO.
Now that's poetry today.
I think the modern equivalent would be lines from movies like "I'll be back".
I would not call it richer but a clever use of words into interesting sayings.
I would just add that the richness of the English language also consisted in that it was not homogeneous in the 16-18th century. There were many colloquial, local ways of speaking.
I suspect the English spoken in Plymouth was colloquially different from that of London or Liverpool or York.
Smauggie
It still is !!!
Malcolm
So as not to be accused of causing a substantive digression in the "Can you identify these North Korean pretend stamps" topic, I thought I'd put this piece of. probably useless, speculation in it's own Topic.
""the barmpot""
He must mean "Numpty"!Big Grin.
British slang for someone somewhat daft.
I am reminded of the story in "The Arabian Nights" of Barmicide the guy who treats his guest to imaginary meals, all of them very fancy and probably expensive were they real. The guest goes along with it and pretends to be chewing, swallowing and digesting the invisible chow till finally after a bottle of imaginary wine he smacks the guy aside the head.
Not actually being British, (Can I get an "Amen" to that !) I am not sure how commonly the word is used.
re: Barmpot
"Numpty" is not uncommon - popularised by Ian Botham, a prominent sportsman turned broadcaster and charity worker.
"Barmpot" may be a more localised word, possibly in the north of England. Someone is "barmy" if they're crazy or, as a former Labour leader has called the present one, "nutty".
re: Barmpot
Here in Bonnie Scotland the word is Bampot, sometimes shortened to just Bam.
The meaning is stupid, idiot, numbskull, plonker, numpty, headcase, nutter, etc
When one meets someone called "Tam the Bam". One is extremely careful.
re: Barmpot
I have never heard the words plonker or numpty let alone Bampot.
re: Barmpot
It's no surprise that you haven't heard these before. These are very British slang words. I think useage of the word plonker originally came about in the 19th century but became highly popular following its frequent use in the very funny TV sitcom, Only Fools and Horses.
Actually, we have adopted an American word over here which is used to portray the same meaning as numpty and Bampot, and that's 'muppet'. I use this a lot myself.
re: Barmpot
The word I recall from my soccer days 40 years ago was "balmy" (which is how we Canadians wrote it). The Brits used the same word but pronounced with their accents more like how it is written here, "barmy".
To me, "nutty" is distinctly American, "nutter" British" and "nuts" Canadian".
"Numpty" I've only ever heard from 2 older Scottish women, and immediately thought (although I have no evidence of the origin) that it was a combination of "numbskull" and "empty (headed)".
"Muppet" seems to be the favourite non-swearword used by Gordon Ramsay to show his disdain for people.
"Plonker" I always thought meant "a down-hill drunk", from "we drank some cheap plonk (booze)".
Now, back to stamps...
Dave.
re: Barmpot
" "Plonker" I always thought meant "a down-hill drunk", from "we drank some cheap plonk (booze)". "
re: Barmpot
Scottish politicians speaking about an American politician:
"described him as a “clay-brained guts, a knotty-pated fool.â€"
re: Barmpot
It's a quote from Henry IV Part 1 where Prince Hal is having a go at Falstaff:
Why, thou claybrained guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou whoreson, obscene, greasy tallow-catch -
re: Barmpot
Slightly off-topic, but there was a TV programme here in the UK recently where there were trotted out a selection of words and expressions in common English use today which were alledgedly invented by Shakespeare in his efforts to reinforce the language in his plays.
Regrettably I can't remember any off the top of my head, but I do remember being struck by the topicality of some of the words/phrases used. Either he had a broad imagination or English in the 16th century was richer than the textspeak prevalent today.
Malcolm
re: Barmpot
Shakespeare is THE genius of the English language he's had a profound impact on our present day speech patterns second only to the bible.
Partial list of expressions coined by Shakespeare :
http://www.pathguy.com/shakeswo.htm
re: Barmpot
"Either he had a broad imagination or English in the 16th century was richer than the textspeak prevalent today."
re: Barmpot
"..... English in the 16th century was considerably richer than today' ...."
Perhaps the language is just as rich, even more so, fuller, more complex and infinitely more flexible, but the speakers are just increasingly indolent in its usage.
OMG, WTF, LOL, ROTHLMAO.
Now that's poetry today.
re: Barmpot
I think the modern equivalent would be lines from movies like "I'll be back".
I would not call it richer but a clever use of words into interesting sayings.
re: Barmpot
I would just add that the richness of the English language also consisted in that it was not homogeneous in the 16-18th century. There were many colloquial, local ways of speaking.
I suspect the English spoken in Plymouth was colloquially different from that of London or Liverpool or York.