Nincompoop origin

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There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun nincompoop. Sign in with library card. Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic. Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into nincompoop, n. Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose. Skip to main content.

Nincompoop origin

Another frequent spelling through 18c. Despite the similarity [noted by Johnson] to the Latin legal phrase non compos mentis "insane, mentally incompetent" c. Weekley thinks first element may be a proper name, and cites Nicodemus , which he says was used in French for "a fool," or Nicholas. Klein says it is probably an invented word. Century Dictionary has no objection to the non compos mentis theory. Nick of time is attested by s nick of opportunity is s , possibly from an old custom of recording time as it passed by making notches on a tally stick, though nick in the general sense of "critical moment" is older s, Hanmer, who adds "as commonly we say" than the phrase. Nick n. The verb in this sense is from , but the same word in the sense "to break wind softly" is attested from ; earlier "to make a short blast on a horn" poupen , late 14c. Meaning "stupid or dull person" is from , but this is perhaps short for nincompoop. Pooper-scooper is attested from Log in. Why, you Ninny, you Nicompoop, you Noun Adjective, for thou canst not stand by thy self, I am sure;" etc.

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From Wiktionary, the free dictionary. WOTD — 30 April Declaring their several Natures, Manners, and Constitutions; the occasion why this Ship was built, with the places of their intended Voyage, and a lift of the Officers that bear Command therein [book title]. O you huffing Son of a Whore. You rotten Jack in a box.

Another frequent spelling through 18c. Despite the similarity [noted by Johnson] to the Latin legal phrase non compos mentis "insane, mentally incompetent" c. Weekley thinks first element may be a proper name, and cites Nicodemus , which he says was used in French for "a fool," or Nicholas. Klein says it is probably an invented word. Century Dictionary has no objection to the non compos mentis theory.

Nincompoop origin

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun nincompoop. To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content. Sign in with library card. Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic. Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into nincompoop, n. Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose. Skip to main content.

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Namespaces Entry Discussion. All Rights Reserved. Klein says it is probably an invented word. Smith, and B. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single entry from a reference work in OR for personal use for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice. See frequency. Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. So nicht om poep might be construed with quite a different meaning. Copy Citation. Entries linking to nincompoop nick n. Forgot password? Telephones: United States: Argentina: E-mail: info transpanish. If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

Let's dig a little deeper into the grab bag of insults that language has bequeathed us throughout history, and find out where those terms come from. Wazzock was a particularly prevalent—and particularly loutish—insult in the s. At the time, "lad culture" ran throughout British music and television, and wazzock, a North-England accented contraction of the sarcastic wiseacre a know-it-all became a powerful tool to shoot people down in an argument.

Read More. Share the Definition of nincompoop on Twitter Twitter. You foul mouth'd Nickumpoop. Sign in via your Institution. Chiswell, S. Copy to clipboard Copied to clipboard. The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins 2 ed. See All. The verb in this sense is from , but the same word in the sense "to break wind softly" is attested from ; earlier "to make a short blast on a horn" poupen , late 14c. See Definitions and Examples ». Becket and P.