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Original poster

What was your word for geeky/uncool growing up?

135 replies

DuggeesWoggle · 20/09/2019 17:03

Was just about to add to the 'describe your childhood in 3 words' and realised one of the words I would have put probably wouldn't be recognised by lots of people.

Ladgin - no idea of proper spelling. Meant uncool/geeky/embarrassing. I was extremely ladgin growing up - holidays spent going to castles in Wales or on steam trains (thanks Dad) instead of all inclusive in Benidorm like everyone else at school. Happy days Grin.

We were in North Yorkshire, 1980s/90s. What word did you have for this, whereabouts and when? Just wondering how far the ladgin-ness spread?!

I'm 38 and wish there were more opportunities to say ladgin in my day to day life.

OP posts:
DuckonaBike · 20/09/2019 17:10

Well you should revive the word Duggees - just start using it!

Not quite the same, but we used to describe a nerdy studious person as a spod. Now that's a word I never hear any more! (I was a spod).

fedup21 · 20/09/2019 17:12

Loser
Square
Muppet
Geek

Plus a couple that were pretty offensive and unpleasant...!

Hirsutefirs · 20/09/2019 17:13

Such a boy was called a dode.

ScreamingValenta · 20/09/2019 17:17

All the geek names I remember have hopefully been consigned forever to the dustbin of the non-pc.

On the other side of the coin, I remember 'skill' as a general word of approbation. As in 'Wet Wet Wet are skill!'.

Propertyofhood · 20/09/2019 17:20

We said 'boff' for geeky, but that was more academically geeky than generally?

Saddo?

fedup21 · 20/09/2019 17:22

Nerd

Fraggling · 20/09/2019 17:23

Sad

fallingasleeprightnow · 20/09/2019 17:25

Boffin

Aph413 · 20/09/2019 17:25

We had ladgin' in the early 2000's in the East Midlands. Had no idea anyone outside of my small town used it

ClashCityRocker · 20/09/2019 17:25

Also North Yorkshire and still using ladging Blush

baldpate · 20/09/2019 17:26

Keener

ClashCityRocker · 20/09/2019 17:27

Which is probably quite ladging in itself 🤔 🤔 🤔

Occasionally a 'weeny' slips in instead of a really or very. As in 'it's weeny bimf today'.

BR540 · 20/09/2019 17:29

Boffin/Boff here, too (90s, London).

Geek and nerd I only ever heard in American TV shows in those days.

I always love ‘dag’ In Neighbours & Home Away Grin.

Astillbe · 20/09/2019 17:32

Spenk

GaraMedouar · 20/09/2019 17:33

Boff or nerd.

MontanaSky · 20/09/2019 17:33

Boffin was the term we used in our school in Norwich

ArgusFilchsCat · 20/09/2019 17:34

Nerd, dweeb and geek spring to mind.
Someone who thought they were 'chocolate' fancied themself. As in 'he thinks he's chocolate'. 'Fit' was for someone attractive.
I was a 90s teen in S Wales Grin

ArgusFilchsCat · 20/09/2019 17:34

Oh and 'mint' for someonr attractive!

Bunnybigears · 20/09/2019 17:35

Dork

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 20/09/2019 17:35

Sad.

I was in the sad gang at school.

Grimbles · 20/09/2019 17:36

Boffin, boffjob, boff
Spod
And for a while, calling people plantpots was a thing.

titchy · 20/09/2019 17:36

Spod or square. Grew up in NW in 80s.

Original poster
DuggeesWoggle · 20/09/2019 17:36

That's weeny snide, ClashCityRocker Grin

Loved 'skill' as a word, think that one came from Smash Hits!

Interesting that in some places it was 'ladging' with a g. Regional variations and all that!

OP posts:
squeaver · 20/09/2019 17:38

Spare. Scotland 70s and early 80s.

Original poster
DuggeesWoggle · 20/09/2019 17:39

We had sad too but that was a bit more nasty than ladgin. You could call your friends ladgin but you wouldn't call them sad unless you really didn't like them.

OP posts: