Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2005 (SND, online supplement).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

NUMPTY, n. A stupid person, an idiot (Ork., Ags., Edb., Arg., Gsw., Ayr., Dmf., Rxb. 2000s).Sc. 1989 Scotsman (7 Jan) 7:
... despite the MacDiarmid-led backlash of 60 years ago against Scottish kailyard numpties, ...wm.Sc. 1992 Sunday Post 4 Oct:
Ach, ye're jist a numptySc. 1998 The List (23 Jan-5 Feb) 35:
With all this negativity floating around, it's hardly surprising Scots see themselves as numpties when it comes to world trivia.Sc. 2003 Scotsman (27 Mar) 2:
The numpties remain. Some are so sunk in numptitude that only advanced genetic engineering, and the substitution of chimpanzee cranial parts, could effect a transformation towards more sentient life.