To ask what a 'numpty' is where you live and if it's offensive?

I’m a Scot and would use it in the same way as daftie or muppet. Very mild “silly billy” energy insult.

Houseinawood · Today 13:35
"East Anglia here - not offensive just means someone a bit daft
It means a bit daft but there a phase where young people were using it (incorrectly) to call someone a sexual percent so maybe they were part of that co-gory of youngsters."

Well, I assume 'percent' was a typo for pervert, but 'co-gory'? Is that really an abbreviation of category? I've never seen that before.

Love daft 'apeth. And silly goose

Scotland and definitely its for affectionate use!

South West - not offensive, someone being a bit daft.

I live in the west of Ireland too and I've heard it many times! It's not seen as offensive

Yorkshire here and like most other people its not offensive at all, its affectionate.
In fact one of DH's friends went by "Numpt", which was a shortening of it.

I actually prefer "Wazzock" but I think that is exclusively Yorkshire

I've only know it as mild and affectionate silly - grew up midland live in south and couple of northern cities and s wales.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1453_uptodate3/page16.shtml#:~:text=Very%20gentle%20word.,have%20done%20better%20than%20that'.

Numpty. N-U-M-P-T-Y. Numpty. Gentle word. Very gentle word. It feels to me like 'silly billy' or 'you novice!' It means somebody who displays a lack of knowledge or a lack of awareness. I've often heard it used as an endearment - 'oh, you great numpty', meaning, you know, 'you should have done better than that'. 'Silly billy' is the best gloss for it, I think.

But in some parts of the country and in some people's usage it's a bit stronger and you can hear the difference in the tone of voice. I mean, I've heard somebody say about a driver of a car 'that numpty's talking on his mobile phone while he was driving' and that's a stronger usage, it means more, you know, 'that idiot', 'that prat', 'that numskull' - he's so stupid that even the simplest things are beyond him, that's the kind of nuance there.

So it has a wide range of usage from quite gentle to quite strong. And then it's developed, of course, as time goes by. I've heard the plural of it - numpties, especially for politicians, 'politicians are numpties'. The number of times I've heard that! And also a noun, an abstract noun, numptiness - I don't think that's used very much but I have heard it once or twice - 'the numptiness of our politicians'.

And in 2007, it was Scotland's favourite word. I CAN, the charity, did a survey of the favourite words of different parts of the country and Scotland voted for numpty!

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/apr/04/britishidentity.features11

Derived from "numps", an obsolete word for a stupid person, rather than the more obvious numbnuts or numbskull, the term implies general idiocy.

It means the same everywhere and the person was clearly confused

In Scotland it’s “ah ya dafty” with loads of affection.

I'm from London, and 'numpty' isn't meant to shame or embarrass anyone, children or otherwise. I would say it's used when someone has done something that they are fully aware was a bit daft and it's an affectionate way of acknowledging it. My family would use it interchangeably with 'doofus' and 'daft ha'porth'.

An example might be a child coming downstairs dressed for school but in bare feet, and you'd say 'What's happened to your socks?' and they laugh and say 'Oops! I forgot them!' and you'd say something like 'Haha, go and put some on, you numpty'. It's a gentle, affectionate sort of thing for when someone's done something harmlessly daft.

North West and it is it offensive, just someone who is silly.

I'm in Ireland. Not used that often but used for when people do silly trivial stuff like:

Left your keys in the door
Went to shop without wallet
Missed your turn in motorway
Founding missing TV remote in fridge etc

It's not insulting. It's for mild acts of madness.

West midlands and this is exactly right

I'm up in the North east, so a fair bit away from you.

I've lived all over Scotland and there seems to be little pockets of places who use it as a term of endearment and then other places who really don't 🤣

I lived in England for a while too, and they really didn't like to have a casual "cunt" dropped into conversation, instead of the word "somebody" 🤣

I have used/heard used in both north and south, definitely not offensive. It’s my go to affectionate gibe when the toddler is being a goof! I think it’s less offensive than twit even.

It means a bit daft but there a phase where young people were using it (incorrectly) to call someone a sexual percent so maybe they were part of that co-gory of youngsters.

I have come across someone calling someone a numpty (idiot) and the other person really upset as they thought they were being called a paedophile.

Another Manc here and another vote for definitely not offensive.

I don't find it offensive. It's a gentler way of alluding to the fact that someone might not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier or has done something a bit daft. I was interested to read the screenshot above. I always thought it was a vague hybrid word approximation of someone having no gumption, but actually the Scottish version makes more sense.

I'd use it in an affectionate when someone has done something daft.

👋 waves to fellow manc.

I agree , it's a very mild form of calling someone a fool , I also use dolt, pudding , sausage in the same way.
If someone got offended at any of them I would be genuinely surprised

@InTheShallowTheShalalalalalalalow 😂 Just over here wondering how close you live to me 👋🏼 I’m in Ayrshire and it can definitely be a term of endearment here 😂 all to do with the tone and what’s it’s coupled with, I find 🤔 a “silly” one - endearment, a “f-ing” one - watch your back 😂😂

Back to your question though @Eeepsh - West Scotland here. Definitely mild and inoffensive. Along the lines of calling someone a “silly billy”. Also interchangeable with “dafty” here 😂

Being a bit daft. Not offensive at all. Bit on the level of what did you do that for you prawn.

Not really used in NI, but going by when I hear it on TV/social media it sounds like a mild insult used towards someone you probably actually like😆 Maybe used the same way as we use eejit.