The excerpt suggests that the term divvy was used in borstals a type of youth prison in the United Kingdom, and detention centres. ![]() Here are among the best I found.įrom A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English By Eric Partridge Nevertheless on the Internet theories abound as to its origin. That's my theory the book, Porridge The Complete Scripts with all the scripts taken from the show is in print, but unfortunately, there isn't an e-book version, so I can't confirm my instinct. Perhaps due to its huge success and oft repeated shows the expression, div or divvy, spread throughout the UK. The television comedy was centred on a petty criminal, Norman Stanley Fletcher, sentenced to serve a five-year stretch at HMP Prison Slade. I believe I first heard it being used on the BBC1 sitcom, Porridge, (1974-1977) starring Ronnie Barker. My answer is I don't know how the word, div or divvy originated. Does anyone know the correct etymology of this term? It seems to me that at least four of these explanations are wrong. Chester was founded by the Romans who named it Deva.ĭerived from "individual needs child", a cruel schoolyard insult. Hospital (since renamed the West Cheshire Hospital) on the outskirts The Deva Hospital was a well known mental It is short for divvy which in turn isĪ corruption of Deva. ![]() Inky Fool, a website new to me, offers two other explanations:-ĭiv is a scouse word for idiot. Collins has it:-Ĭ20: probably shortened and changed from deviant Given this job was a 'divider' or a 'div'. The lowest inmates was to put cardboard dividers into boxes. ![]() Urban Dictionary has a quaint tale:-Īctually originates from prison slang in the UK. I started to wonder how this term of abuse came about.
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