Dubai

[LeeB]

Is it fuck, you div.

I really enjoy div as an insult, but have no idea where the word comes from.

I was thinking about that the other day, like I hope it's not from something really bad and I need to stop.

[Sexual Ealing]

Is it fuck, you div.

I really enjoy div as an insult, but have no idea where the word comes from.

If you enjoy it, it's probably best not to dig too deep (I have no idea either, but I bet it's not good).

[Clampy]

I remember someone on here taking issue with the word cretin.

[Dave]

Take your pick:

Actually originates from prison slang in the UK. A job often given to the lowest inmates was to put cardboard dividers into boxes. Someone given this job was a 'divider' or a 'div'. Now used as an insult to those who display stupidity.

C20: probably shortened and changed from deviant

Div is a scouse word for idiot. It is short for divvy which in turn is a corruption of Deva. The Deva Hospital was a well known mental hospital (since renamed the West Cheshire Hospital) on the outskirts of Chester. Chester was founded by the Romans who named it Deva.

Derived from "individual needs child", a cruel schoolyard insult. Not at all politically correct. Someone who's "not quite normal"

Derived from divot, a clump of turf. And clump is just another expression for an idiot or foolish person.

A person that is a bit stupid, a waster or unemployed. The word Div/Divvy comes from a shortening of the Unemployment Dividend of the 1950's.

A Northern English word from the mining community's use of different types of lamp whilst underground. The dangerous lamp nicknamed Davy Lamp was not very safe and tended to explode, this was replaced with the Geordie Lamp which was a lot safer. Colliers that went underground using a Davy Lamp soon started being called Divvies.

[DennisHodgetts]

Div is apparently short for deviant!

[edgysatsuma89]

Bloody hell, I didn't think there would be that many origins. I'll choose to believe the 'nicer' ones.

[Dave]

Bloody hell, I didn't think there would be that many origins. I'll choose to believe the 'nicer' ones.

It does feel a bit like a round of Balderdash.

[dave shelley]

I remember someone on here taking issue with the word cretin.

Me.

[Drummond]

Irrelevant

[London Villan]

A word I've never heard anyone else use (other than in South Brum) in "Monny" - similar use to "Div" - probably related to Monyhull Mental Hospital.

[Percy McCarthy]

I think we should have some sort of symbol on the thread title, to alert the casual reader that there is a row going on inside that may prove of interest. A boxing glove perhaps?

I nearly missed this.

A flashing boxing glove when the row is live. Great idea.

The mods could rush in.

[Border villan]

Can we also have a fluttering towel emoji used when one of the participants has had enough.

[PeterWithe]

I remember someone on here taking issue with the word cretin.

Shame that, along with Imbecile, it's one of my favourite words when I'm arguing with my Conspiracy Theorist mates, which seems to happen more and more regularly.

[DeKuip]

Up until the mid 1970s Divs were clearly defined and everyone knew where they stood. Level one was known as the top div and level four the bottom div, although before level four was introduced the third level was divided geographically. Then the Scots decided they wanted a better class of Div and brought in a Premier Div. England followed suit in 1992 after a bunch of low level Divs from London, known as The Wombles, had risen up the levels and kicked shit out of the posh divs. The posh divs ganged up and eventually kicked the insurgents out of their Premier club, but it all became so confusing with Div 2s becoming Div 1s that we ended up in 2024 with the lowest level divs going into something called League One.

[letsshakehands]

I remember someone on here taking issue with the word cretin.

David James certainly did:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1057907.stm