Schoolchildren have always had a way with insults, but the inventive vernacular changes with the decades.
Many barbs that were commonly heard during the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s are very rarely uttered today.
Below are 15 playground insults that were popular with schoolchildren back then but have faded from use.
They range from playful gibes you might trade with your best friend to more bilious terms you’d save for your worst enemy.
The sometimes surprising origins include medieval kings and literary giants, plus, more predictably, several euphemistic terms for human genitalia.
We’ve omitted the most vulgar, offensive and distasteful slang.
How many of these do you remember, and are there any other once-popular insults that you rarely hear anymore?
If you enjoyed this trip down memory lane, you might like this look back at the things you’ll only remember if you went to school in the 80s.
13. Prat
Prat, another word for idiot, is believed to have come from the Old English word 'praett', meaning trick or prank. It was used in the Harry Potter books by the Weasley twins as an insult for the titular character, but is rarely heard these days. | Getty Images Photo: Lisa Maree Williams
14. Dickweed
The insult dickweed refers to a 'stupid, obnoxious or contemptible' man. It was popularised by the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, in which Bill, played by Alex Winter, utters the line: "You killed Ted, you medieval dickweed!" | Getty Images Photo: Catherine McGann
15. Bog off
This insult is a euphemistic, slightly less offensive, way of telling someone to 'bugger off'. It's another slang term that was once widely used but is today little heard. | Getty Images Photo: Topical Press Agency