Has anyone else heard this?

Yes used to that term,'old biddies' its northern use often still heard(both yorkshire& lancashire)& my late scottish mother- in-law also used it.So it appears to be known everywhere,generally,but not amongst the younger 'uns 😆

'Old biddy' was also used in the south west of England where I grew up. I've always thought it a patronising term used for an older woman. Not polite!

Yup. Used in Liverpool where I grew up.
Used of women not men.
Info in Graphite's post very interesting.
I always wondered why Scottish women used the endearment " Hen".
I'm sure that I used the term" old biddies" myself when I was younger
I might have been kinder had I realised that one day I would become one.🤣🤣🤣🤣

As an old biddy myself,I don't mind the expression - there are a lot more derogatory expressions out there for the elderly....

We say that in Scotland too.

We use this saying down south

Cronesrule I haven't heard of biddying about and I don't like the sound of it.

I am 75 very soon, and I have heard that expression all my life, and I come from East London. I remember my mother-in-law saying it, but not my mother. I've said it myself before too, the problem is I am now one myself! Ha ha! Although of course old is always at least 10 years older than you yourself are, as we keep moving the goalposts to suit our age!

Its a London expression. One of my adult children used to live over the road from a care home and she told me her little one waves at the biddies. Little one called them the nannas.

We used to say this in Staffordshire where I grew up.

N.B. My username! I am reclaiming “crone” as a term of mature female power! I don’t feel I have reached “biddy” stage yet. But will be proud to achieve Biddydom! I think it’s a common term. Never thought it was derogatory but can be patronising, like “old boy” and “old girl” sometimes considered to be. The idea of “biddying about” appeals. I think I do that already!

Esmay

I think that it's rude .

It's not rude. I'm an old biddy. You can call me that, you can call me love or dear and I recently signed an email to a dear friend from childhood as from an 'old bint' and I've no idea where that one comes from, have you?

Boadicea

My friend (we are both in our very early 70s) will tell me she's just been "biddying about" at home: i.e.doing "old people" things like knitting, minding grandchildren, potting up plants etc.
I know I'm an old biddy but sometimes I forget I'm probably older than some of the people I might refer to as old biddies!

I love this 🤣🤣

We all, in Essex, use the expression “old biddies” My DM’s DM came from Lancashire

A term I've heard (and used) throughout my life and I've lived all over England (as well as Aden, France, Singapore and Australia!)

Old saying, also Old crusties!

My friend (we are both in our very early 70s) will tell me she's just been "biddying about" at home: i.e.doing "old people" things like knitting, minding grandchildren, potting up plants etc.
I know I'm an old biddy but sometimes I forget I'm probably older than some of the people I might refer to as old biddies!

Lol.I'm a southener..and have heard this description.My husband uses it a lot.He is a southerner too.

It must be definitely used during our mother’s age as my mother also used to refer to old people,’old buddies’ and she was born in Eire.

Oh yes, old biddies in Northants.

welbeck

It's a derogatory term for an older woman.

It's a term I use and have never thought it was the least bit derogatory and certainly not meant that way by me. I think it's a gentle, mild sort of name for an older person and would not be offended if I was called that.



when I have used

nexus63

i am from glasgow and old biddies is a polite term for old folk, i have heard worse.

As in "yon auld besom"

County Durham - we used to always say old biddies.

It's patronising, rude and misogynistic used by the sort of person who thinks they're somehow better than the individual they're casting the slurs at. In the same vein as, old bag, old hag, old crone and a myriad of other insults levied at older women.

Definitely ‘old biddy ’ heard as a child in Sussex. The old lady just down the road always called me ‘duck’. The little devil in me always wanted to say ‘quack’!