mardy, n. adj.
Eng. regional (chiefly north.).
A. n. A spoilt child.
1874 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 3 Aug. 4/1 Mard adj.Pettish, peevish, used in speaking
of children... Mardy is the corresponding substantive, a spoiled child. 1888 S. O. ADDY Gloss. Words
Sheffield 144 Mardy, a spoiled child. a1930 D. H. LAWRENCE Mod. Lover (1934) 277 As for Harold,
he was all right. He was very respectable and a bit of a mardy, perhaps..but he was all right. 1987 Jrnl.
Lancs. Dial. Soc. May 9 M as in mardy ‘spoilt child’.
B. adj. Usually of a child: spoilt, sulky, whining, moody. Also in extended use.
1903 W. H. STEVENSON in Eng. Dial. Dict. IV. 34/1 [Notts.] A boy who cries with pain is called by
his fellows a ‘mardy baby’. 1913 D. H. LAWRENCE Sons & Lovers vi. 127 ‘Now, Miriam,’ said
Maurice, ‘you come an' 'ave a go.’ ‘No,’ she cried, shrinking back. ‘Ha! baby. The mardy-kid!’ said her
brothers. 1915 D. H. LAWRENCE Rainbow i. 12 Young Tom, whom he called a mardy baby. 1959 J.
BRAINE Vodi i. 22 ‘Don't be so bloody soft, man,’ Tom said. ‘I don't want to go.’ ‘You're mardy. You're
dead mardy.’ 1961 J. I. M. STEWART Man who won Pools 35 'E were a mardy one as a nipper, our
Phil. 1975 D. CLARK Premedicated Murder v. 83 ‘You can get all mardy about it if you like,’ said
Green, unabashed. 1979 A. SILLITOE Storyteller II. xv. 198 ‘Get some bleddy oil,’ Percy said in a
mardy, rasping sort of voice, as if he was on a picnic and not at a funeral. 1995 K. ATKINSON Behind
Scenes at Museum (1996) iv. 138 ‘There Samuel, did tha like that? Nice cowd air to haste you to
t'Maker.’ The baby made a small snuffling noise. ‘Tha'rt a mardy gowk for all tha cosseting, eh?’
C. Compounds. mardy-arse derogatory, a spoilt, pampered, or cowardly person.
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