What does gammy mean?
Gammy is an informal British adjective used to describe a limb—most often a leg—that is stiff, injured, or otherwise not working as it should. Someone with a 'gammy leg' limps or moves awkwardly because of an old injury, arthritis, or some lingering ailment. The word carries no great stigma; it is the sort of affectionate, matter-of-fact term people use about their own bodies or those of family members, giving it a warm, colloquial register rather than a clinical one. It appears chiefly in everyday British speech and writing, and is less familiar to American readers, who are more likely to say a leg is 'bad' or 'bum'. Its charm lies in its specificity: while 'lame' is broader and more formal, gammy pinpoints a stubbornly unreliable limb. For anyone describing a creaky knee or a dodgy ankle in casual conversation, it remains one of the most characterful words available.
adjective(Of a limb, especially a leg) stiff, injured, or otherwise not working properly; lame.
- (of a limb) stiff, injured, or lame; not working properly
"He's walked with a gammy leg ever since the accident."
"After twisting his ankle on the trail, he hobbled home on a gammy foot."
"My gran still gardens every day despite her gammy hip."
'Gammy leg' is the classic British complaint — a word so homegrown that Americans often meet it only in British TV dramas.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gammy come from?
Gammy is recorded in English slang from at least the mid-19th century and is generally thought to derive from 'gam', an old slang term for a leg. That word itself is of uncertain deeper origin, though it was well established among sailors and showfolk by the late 18th century. The adjective spread through colloquial British speech, where it remains current today.
How gammy is actually used
Informal and distinctly British in flavour; rarely used formally. Almost always applied to legs, arms, or hands rather than abstract things.
Easily confused with gammy
'Jammy' means lucky, whereas 'gammy' describes a stiff or injured limb.