iddy-umpty
British slang for Morse code, particularly associated with World War One signallers.
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#1·Apr 28, 2026
British slang for Morse code, particularly associated with World War One signallers. The name is onomatopoeic, mimicking the short (iddy) and long (umpty) sounds of dots and dashes. Used colloquially among military telegraphers and radio operators in the early 20th century. Now archaic.
The signaller tapped out the message in iddy-umpty while the rest of the trench slept.
Origin: Onomatopoeic: iddy represents the short dot sound, umpty the longer dash sound, in Morse code. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(slang) Morse code.
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