“Sprogs” - is it a northern term

[Funky_Chicken]

Chatting to a friend from London the other day and he’d no idea what I was on about thought everyone would know what sprogs were

 

[Norfolkred1]

Sprogs is often used in the Forces.

 

[Funky_Chicken]

Sprogs is often used in the Forces.

Is it really - does it have the same meaning ?

 

[parnabyscrosses]

I have no idea what they are?

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

EtymologyEdit

1940s, originally service slang. Perhaps from obsolete sprag (“lively young man”), of unknown origin.

 

[FartingGnome]

I remember back in the late '70s the nurses at North Tees used to refer to the midwives as Sprog Catchers. Not sure how widespread that was. The term, not the midwifery.

 

[Norfolkred1]

Is it really - does it have the same meaning ?

Young un, kid, get sometime in. Just a sprog without experience of time in the forces.

 

[Funky_Chicken]

I have no idea what they are?

Kids, children, nippers, ankle biters etc

 

[Midlands_Boro]

I'm guessing not because the children's version of TV show "gogglebox" was called "gogglesprogs" which tells me it's used nationally