Citations:herbert

Noun: A foolish or contemptible person

1945, Richard Llewellyn, None But the Lonely Heart, page 42:

By the time Ma Zaka was squatted, you had the wrong end of you sticking out the curtains, so all the time you was in there, trying to make out what she was on about, you was waiting for some bright herbert to take a first timer at you.

2001 February 22, P J Proby, “Anarchy in the UK”, in https://web.archive.org/web/20010222192655/https://www.savoy.abel.co.uk/HTML/anarchy.html:

"Cripes!", he exclaimed, "what bloody herbert gave me this?" and hastily replaced he offending item with a piece of plastic by The Jesus and Mary Chain.

2006 October 1, Phil Singleton, “Glen Matlock in conversation with Phil Singleton”, in https://web.archive.org/web/20070103170228/http://www.philjens.plus.com/rattle/glen_conversation_011006.htm:

I walked in there and that bloody herbert from Oasis, Liam Gallagher, was going through all our drinks!

2007, Arctic Monkeys, D Is for Dangerous‎^[1]:

"He knew what he wanted to say / but he didn't know how to word it / The dirty little herbert was seeking an escape"

2008 April 13, DaiDap, “Re: More Container Related Shenanigans”, in https://web.archive.org/web/20230608163610/https://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33401:

Know what you mean. Feel a right bloody Herbertpulling them trailers.

2009 February 4, princess peach, “Re: Wiring electric?quick answer needed!”, in https://web.archive.org/web/20230606111733/https://www.andalucia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18908:

he took nearly an hour wiring the bloody thing, as he kept cutting the cables too short […] what a herbert!

2011, Liam McIlvanney, All the Colours of the Town‎^[2], page 279:

At Holyrood Crescent an ebullient Goth swapped a handful of chips for a slug of wine and then a trio of lurching herberts in Ben Sherman checks arm-locked me into a block-long rendition of 'Danny Boy'.

2012 February 24, Rosanna Greenstreet, “The Q&A Paddy Considine”, in Guardian Online‎^[3], archived from the original on 9 October 2015:

She got home two hours late and her dad (now my father-in-law) thought I was some dirty herbert corrupting his daughter, but we were in love.

2014 March 1, Billy Armstrong, “Airedale Movers and the... Return to Facebook”, in https://pages.facebook.com/AiredaleMovers/photos/a.633816143336908/677313822320473/?type=3&av=100000262644252&eav=AfZucpdVr9TFQPoahvpl4bDQTU9T56fCtIT49ZsMVPUiJTmZQzJwkQLh1iMJst7gJFo&p=10&paipv=0:

Bloody herbert!

2015 September 6, JAT, “Thread: Swingarm sticker question”, in https://web.archive.org/web/20230428215851/https://www.apriliaforum.com/forums/showthread.php?311314-Swingarm-sticker-question:

Now leave me alone you p### taking Herbert's, I am now laughing at myself you horrible lot!

2018, J.S.Morin, Mercy For Hire Mission Pack 1: Missions 1-4‎^[4]:

Thaddeus [said] "But you don't have the town covering for you anymore. Your secret's out." […] "Fuck me if I'm chasing this filthy Herbert," Titch said, flicking his badge. […] Thaddeus leveled a finger at him like a loaded blaster. "You're going to pay for what you did to my little girl."

2023 May 31, Felonious Crud, “The good morning thread”, in https://web.archive.org/web/20230608162753/https://www.sportsmaserati.com/index.php?threads/the-good-morning-thread.1757/page-4545:

Best get yourself into work as well, lad, or the viewers will think a vagrant has been squatting in your house. You scruffy bloody herbert.