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Re: "moaning like a pyard"?

Posted by Bruce Kahl on November 02, 2005

In Reply to: "Moaning like a pyard"? posted by Nicki Lutman on November 02, 2005

:
: I'm looking for the meaning/origin of a phrase that was used in my childhood by my mother (now 72 years old), who originally was from Kent, England. The phrase: "moaning like a pyard" (not sure of exact spelling). It was used by her to describe someone complaining continually about something, often unjustifiably. I'd be grateful for any help. I used it in a training session this morning, and was challenged agressively by a client, who accused me of using language whose meaning I did not know. It would be very satisfying to be able to tell him the origins of the phrase! Thanks, and I'll hope for a response.

Looks like, but I am not sure, that the phrase is from a family name:

What does the Pyatt name mean?

English (Midlands): nickname from a diminutive of Old French pye 'magpie' (see Pye 1), or possibly sometimes a late form of pyard, a pejorative form of pye.

English: from Middle English, Old French pie, pye 'magpie' (Latin pica), applied as a nickname for a talkative or thievish person. The modern English name of the bird, not found before the 17th century, is from the earlier dialect term maggot-pie, formed by the addition of Mag, Maggot, pet forms of the female personal name Margaret.
Welsh: variant of Pugh.