Yampy as a Box of Frogs

Here’s a handy word from the West Midlands of England, yampy, Y-A-M-P-Y.

Do you know this word, Grant?

No.

Can I make some guesses?

Please.

Yampy, it’s when you’ve got swamp butt after being out in the Louisiana heat in the summertime.

No more guesses.

Although you’re right that it’s somewhat negative.

If somebody’s yampy, they’re just not quite right or they’re foolish or they’re daft.

So if you’re under lots of pressure, you might be driven yampy or somebody might be yampy as a box of frogs.

Oh, okay. Kind of barmy.

Yeah. Yampy may come from a Scots word yamp, which means noisy or talkative.

Or the word yamph, Y-A-M-P-H, which means to bark like a small dog or yelp.

Oh, it sounds kind of like yap or yappy.

Oh, good names for you and me.

So if you’ve got a question about language, call Yampy and Yappy, me and Martha, 877-929-9673.