If you grew up in Derbyshire, the local way of speaking probably sounds perfectly normal. But to anyone from outside the county, it can be a different story.
The dialect runs deep. Many of its words can be traced back to the Angles, Saxons and Vikings who settled here centuries ago, leaving their mark on everyday speech. Over time, that history has shaped a language full of character, humour and sharp wit.
Naturally, it’s also produced a fine collection of traditional insults, delivered with a straight face and perfect timing. Some are playful, some are cutting, and all are unmistakably Derbyshire.
So how many of these classic put downs do you actually know?
1. Derbyshire insults
These are some distinctly Derbyshire insults. Photo: jason chadwick
2. Mardy
Used to describe someone in a bad mood, the term mardy has spurned a number of common phrases, including mardy bum, mardy cow and mardy b*gger. Mardy is most likely formed from the adjective marred - meaning “damaged, spoiled". Photo: m
3. Wazzock
The exact hisitory of the word is unknown, but some suggest it takes its name from the habit of medieval kings to go yo the loo over a shovel. The royal depsoit would be “wazzed” out of the window and the wazzock was the tool for performing this operation. Today the term is used to describe a person with no point or worth. Photo: m
4. Nebbeh
This word is used as a substitute for 'nosey' - with neb being slang for nose. An example would be 'mind your own business, you nebbeh cow'. Photo: m