biddy

Clucking farm fowl

Biddy is a mildly dismissive term for a woman, typically suggesting someone fussy, gossipy, or meddlesome.

It often appears with modifiers: old biddy, nosy biddy.

The word can also mean a hen or chick, which likely influenced its application to women.

In older usage, Biddy was a nickname for Bridget, once stereotypically associated with Irish servant women.

pejorative

hag

Frightening elderly witch

croneWizened old woman
busybodyIntrusive meddler
gossipInformal talk spreading rumors

fussbudget · nag · spinster · scold · harridan · shrew · termagant · beldam

elderly

matron

Female institutional supervisor

grandmotherMother of a parent
seniorHigher in rank
dowagerTitled widow of nobility

matriarch · elder · pensioner · retiree · crone · oldster · venerable · aged · silver-haired · octogenarian

hen

coop

Poultry enclosure

roostBird's sleeping spot
cluckHen's throaty call
peckingJabbing with beak

feathers · brood · nest · flock · poultry · chick · henhouse · cackle · egg-laying · scratch

Categories

age slanggeezer, codger, coot, old fart, old timer
seniorssenior citizens, senior, elderly, old woman, old lady

Opposites

age and social perception

biddyspring chicken

Young, inexperienced person

young woman · ingenue · girl · youngster · maiden

gender (poultry sense)

Male domestic fowl

cock · cockerel · chanticleer · man · drake

social status and manner

biddygrande dame

Esteemed senior woman

lady · gentlewoman · man · gentleman · dignitary

Phrases

winning bidAccepted highest tender
bidding warCompeting offers driving prices up
highest bidderWinner at auction
competitive biddingRivals offering prices
minimum bidLowest acceptable starting offer
do one's bidding

Family

bid, bidding, bidder, biddable, biddies, bidden

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG