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Everyday Ageism

Has anyone else heard this?

(93 Posts)
fancyflowers Wed 25-Feb-26 01:43:58

My mother, when she was alive, used to call old people 'old biddies.'

When we talked about her going into a care home, she said that she was never going to go into one as they were all full of 'old biddies.'

Is this a Northern expression or was it a common phrase in the past?

Elrel Wed 18-Mar-26 18:12:43

Hadn’t heard the expression for many years. At a recent extended family get together people less than a third my age helped me negotiate a steep staircase. I was amused and not offended that they thought everyone should offer help to ‘old biddies’ when needed!

Lesley60 Sun 01-Mar-26 13:58:46

I’m Welsh and I’ve heard old biddies and old fogies I suppose at 67 I am one now 😂

Mojack26 Fri 27-Feb-26 16:28:23

We use it in Scotland too

IamMaz Fri 27-Feb-26 14:11:32

I’m familiar with referring to old women as old biddies.

Dreadwitch Fri 27-Feb-26 13:57:05

I still say old biddies haha I'm from Yorkshire.

Fartooold Fri 27-Feb-26 11:17:11

Definitely used in the East End in the 60’s/70’s when I was not an Old Biddy!
Talking of names my friend’s daughter is called Biddy and is not old!

win Fri 27-Feb-26 10:35:59

I still use that word although I am in the eighties myself. I always call others my age old biddies.

Hatcham Fri 27-Feb-26 09:19:52

My mother was from Kent and she used the term.

WithNobsOnIt Fri 27-Feb-26 05:44:00

I live in the great Northern Powerhouse city.
l had forgotten this word and glad you nentioned it. It was used all the time to describe od ladies especially by men when l was a youngster.

It was quite sympathic really. More derogatory terms were Old Bat,Old Dear, the Old Woman, and Old Cow!
Tut tut!!!

l think this term should now be resurrected and rebranded with purpose and humour.

Let us go for it Ladies.

😻
Xxx

FranP Thu 26-Feb-26 23:35:38

welbeck

It's a derogatory term for an older woman.

In pretty much the same way as the ladies of the world called Karen get upset, my Great Aunt Biddy (Bridget) got very upset at this nasty use of her name, so her family started calling her Birdie, another shortening of her name

Oldnproud Thu 26-Feb-26 19:27:57

Oreo

misb

Old buffers - for old men !

Old duffers surely?

Or old codgers

Witzend Thu 26-Feb-26 18:27:03

I’ve often heard it, and still do now and then.

I was once very amused to hear a young Scottish boy, 16 or so, a friend’s son, say it. There had been some scandal involving a UK politician, caught with his pants down, so as they do, he was shown on TV in front of their house with his poor, long suffering, bravely ‘supportive’ spouse.
As the Scottish boy said, ‘And there he was, with his wee biddy wife…’. 😂😂

posset Thu 26-Feb-26 18:09:42

I meet up with a group of friends once a month and we always jokingly refer to it as "the old biddies lunch" I interpret it as meaning interfering old busybodies, which we are not!

Nanny27 Thu 26-Feb-26 18:06:23

A commonly used term everywhere i think. My mum aged 80 odd used to be the village driver for the luncheon club. She always referred to them as the old biddies even though many of them were younger than her. She certainly meant no harm by the term and I never thought of it as rude.

Lovetopaint037 Thu 26-Feb-26 16:46:19

My dh uses it and he comes from the Midlands and has family in Yorkshire.

SueEH Thu 26-Feb-26 16:43:01

We used “old biddies” in Lancashire. It doesn’t bother be because of course I’ll never be one 🤣

jocork Thu 26-Feb-26 16:30:45

I've certainly heard the expression and I was brought up in the NW of England, though I've lived in the South since going to University. I'm not sure when I last heard it though, not recently.

Grannybags Thu 26-Feb-26 16:29:30

My Dad used to call me Pet!

Lollipop1 Thu 26-Feb-26 16:26:07

Alison333

'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!

'Pet' is somehow patronising. As you age people tend to treat you as if you're senile. I have to bite my tongue as I know it's not meant as an insult.

Seapebble Thu 26-Feb-26 16:20:11

My friends and I use it a teeny bit ironically to describe things. So Biddy-pass for bus-pass, biddy discounts, got my comfy biddy-shoes on etc. It was used in the South when we were kids (never in a nice way) but I don't hear it much now - probably because I've joined the ranks of crones, codgers, oldies, farts, wrinklies etc. Eff 'em! They'll all get there soon enough. The young whipper-snappers as the oldies used to say.

Casdon Thu 26-Feb-26 16:12:35

Nannan2

Yes,as was metioned,'biddy' also a nickname or shortened name for Bridget.

So an older version I guess of people now being called a Karen, which I don’t like at all, and my name is not Karen.

Nannan2 Thu 26-Feb-26 16:10:51

Yes,as was metioned,'biddy' also a nickname or shortened name for Bridget.

Nannan2 Thu 26-Feb-26 16:08:53

Old duffers was referring to to the old men,as was old codgers.

Casdon Thu 26-Feb-26 16:07:26

Isn’t it originally from the Irish, I’m sure it’s a Christian name there? My Dad calls men of a similar age old codgers, so it’s not just older women who are labelled.

sixandahalf Thu 26-Feb-26 16:03:44

Lollipop1

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?

I think bint is Arabic.