Slang

yob | yobbo

This page is about the slang term yob | yobbo

British English offensive!

Meaning

an aggressive, impolite, crude person

For example

  • Be careful if you go to a pub on Friday or Saturday night. The yobs will be out and lots of them will be looking for a fight.

  • Lots of yobbos travel to places like Spain and Greece and get drunk, behave badly, and damage the image of Britain and the British.

Note:
usually used as an insult, so calling someone a yob or a yobbo can be dangerous

Origin: first appeared in mid-19th century British English and believed to have been derived from spelling "boy" backwards

Variety

This is typically used in British English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz

Yobs are known to really enjoy

a. reading poetry and gardening

b. knitting and doing crosswords

c. drinking alcohol and fighting
a) reading poetry and gardening b) knitting and doing crosswords c) drinking alcohol and fighting
yob | yobbo

See Slang of the Day today

Contributor: Matt Errey