- Whipperginnie. An abusive name for a woman used in the 1600’s, it was the equivalent of a derogatory name for a man-snippersnapper, and taking the whipper part of the first word and adding it to the male name you get whippersnapper, an insulting term for a male that has lasted for centuries. My uncle called me a whippersnapper often when I was a child. I thought it meant I was smart as a whip. Now I know better.
- Wallydraigle is a worthless slovenly woman. No offense to men named Wally, but wally is a term insulting somebody’s intelligence or common sense.
- Taw-Bess is a slut, a slattern. I have no idea who Bess was, but she was either very bad, or very good.
- Tirliry-Puffkin is light-headed woman, a flighty woman, a flirt.
- Daggle-Tail came about from a woman’s garments that were dirtied from being trailed over wet ground, therefore she was a untidy woman, another slut or slattern. Daggle is a term that means to drag through the mud. The Tail I will let you figure out.
- Drassock is a drab, untidy woman. Bonus word-Drosell is another word for slut or hussy.
- Bronstrops is prostitute. I think it may be fair to say a bronstrop is a professional drosell and I mean no offense to either.
These words come from the British Isles and were used centuries ago. It shows how language changes and thinking that, you wonder how many words we currently use will be lost centuries from now. There a couple of good words to call a woman of course. And they come from the book that I got these words and definitions from. The book is Poplollies and Bellibones.
Poplolly is a little darling, a female favorite, special loved one, or mistress (but not a bronstrop or drosell)
Bellibone is a lovely maiden, a pretty lass. It is anglicized from the French belle et bonne.
When you look at the seven uncomplimentary names, humorous as they sound, they are harsher than poplolly and Bellibone, both of which have a lovely sound to them. Perhaps if a word sounds bad, it is and if it sounds good, it is.