Dictionary

doylem en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈdɔɪlɪm/
• /ˈdɔɪləm/

Etymology

Uncertain; Yaron Matras includes the term in his dictionary of Angloromani, connecting it to Romani dinilo (“a fool”) and Yiddish גולם (goylem, “a fool”). Alternatively, related to the older dialectal term doychle (“a stupid person”). Possibly also connected to doy (a disdainful indication that something is obvious).

Meanings

1. (Geordie, Mackem, Yorkshire, derogatory, slang) A stupid person; an idiot.
   • The shows could then provide a valuable service to society, allowing the divvy and radgie to air their pointless grievances to their heart's content in front of an army of happy daytime TV watching doylems ...and let the police get on with some proper work instead. 2011, John Donoghue, Police, Crime & 999: The True Story of a Front Line Officer, Leicester, Leicestershire: Matador, →ISBN, page 16:
   • We shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but he was a bit of a doylem. 1996, Stuart Pawson, The Judas Sheep, London: Headline Book Publishing, →ISBN, page 28:
   • 'Now look what you've done, you total doylum! It's half off me!' Mary hissed at her sister. 2020, Penny Thorpe, The Mothers of Quality Street, London: HarperCollinsPublishers, →ISBN, page 290:
   • A couple of half-decent birds, but otherwise the whole place was some kind of funny farm for disturbed, nonced-up, rat-faced, smegma-sandwich-eating doilems. 2005, Bernard Hare, Urban Grimshaw and the Shed Crew, London: Sceptre, →ISBN, page 78:
   • You stupid little fucking halflife, 20 second alone with Infoseek or Altavista would have given you this (Lame) program from 100's of sites run by fucking doylums like your good self 1999 April 14, Pr0tocol, “BO”, in alt.ph.uk (Usenet):
   • The end of another crap gig: we'd played great music — badly — to the usual drunken doylems in a well-strafed WMC. 2001, Bill Broady, “The Tale of the Golden Bath-Taps”, in In This Block There Lives a Slag...and Other Yorkshire Fables, London: Flamingo, →ISBN, page 207:
   • "Ye're a bloody doylem, you are, ye daft southe'n twat! C'mon, Sally, walk on". Sally looked up at him, then at me, and sat down again, craning her head forward between my arms, and sniffing. Pierre's game was *much* more interesting than walking with Donald. It had muck, and dirt, and some *very* interesting smells. 1994 September 20, Bob Another beer, please Christ, “Dog story...”, in rec.pets.dogs (Usenet):

Forms

Synonyms

prat · fool · clot · idiot · dimbo · asstard · goose · meatball · doldrum · stupid-head · simpleton · peagoose · moron · meathead · shithead · cretin · yo-yo · dingbat · addle pate · fuckwit · schmo · buttbreath · dunce · bubble brain · blubberbrain · tard · muggins · silly · baboon · shitbrain · muttonhead · lummox · retard · dunderhead · chucklehead · fucktard · pinhead · knothead · ha'porth · nimrod · beetlebrain · dullard · birdbrain · dunderpate · goosecap · wally · dipshit · dim bulb · smooth brain · fopdoodle · jackass · stupid · twit · juggins · asshead · snapperhead · noodlehead · mental midget · witless wonder · tomfool · ass · peabrain · mongtard · deadhead · addlehead · simp · loggerhead · Vulgar: · addle-brain · eejit · inbred · fleabrain · toolbox · gudgeon · dumbhead · gorbuson · dip · momo · assclown · mongoloid · mouth breather · clodpate · berk · clod · drongo · stupe · maroon · dipstick · bubblehead · dildo · fenderhead · fuck-knuckle · lackwit · shitwit · zany · dimbus · mutt · hammerhead · nit · dumbbell · doof · pillock · dork · turkey · sot · donut · tosspot · dingwad · nincompoop · imbecile · monkey · noddy · tonto · goofball · gomer · chowderhead · oaf · cittern-head · putz · bozo · dingleberry · sap · dummkopf · nincom · space cadet · ninny · jackaninny · dope · thickskull · asswipe · drivel · doofus · wazzer · lunkhead · blockhead · dumb cluck · ding dong · Charlie · brickhead · jughead · doofoid · mome · halfwit · cuckoo · gimboid · gonk · plonker · jellybrain · farthead · wantwit · buffoon · pigwidgeon · drool bucket · dumbshit · dolt · goofy · wazzock · mushhead · shitneck · plank · lamebrain · galoot · put · knucklehead · ignoramus · goober · twat · dumbo · crackhead · doodle · goon · thicko · dumbnut · bufflehead · brainlet · dumble · peckerhead · dumbling · nitwit · dumb bunny · dimwit · saphead · featherbrain · dumbfuck · Alternative spelling of dumbass. · boob · donkey dick · goof · asshat · Boeotian · beanbrain · spanner · lunk · airhead · dummy · chump · jerk · numbskull · bonehead · log · bimbo · clown · dumbfucker · fathead · ninnyhammer · thickhead · beetlehead

wikipedia: Yorkshire Dialect Society · wikipedia: J. D. A. Widdowson · wikipedia: Edinburgh University Press · wikipedia: Yaron Matras · wikipedia: Clive Upton