nimrod
English
Etymology
In some English-speaking countries, Nimrod is used to denote a hunter or warrior, because the biblical Nimrod is described as "a mighty hunter". In American English, however, the term has acquired a derogatory meaning of "idiot"; there are various hypotheses as to why.
One suggestion is that Bugs Bunny's references to Elmer Fudd as a "poor little Nimrod",[1] while most likely using the term's "hunter" sense, contributed to the development of a sense "one who is easily confounded".
An alternative explanation of this sense is that it derives from the John Steinbeck memoir Travels with Charley: In Search of America, in which Steinbeck used the term sarcastically while describing an inquest that was held after a hunter accidentally shot his partner: "The coroner questioning this nimrod..."[2]
The Oxford English Dictionary, in turn, cites a 1933 writing as the first usage of nimrod to refer to a fool, predating Bugs Bunny by at least five years and Steinbeck by nearly thirty: in Hecht and Fowler's Great Magoo, someone remarks "He's in love with her. That makes about the tenth. The same old Nimrod. Won't let her alone for a second."[3] However, this could still have been used in the sense of a hunter (i.e. someone pursuing a love interest).
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary suggests that because the legendary Nimrod was associated with the Tower of Babel, a disastrous idea, nimrod acquired the meaning of "a stupid person."[4]
Another possible source of the sense is the play "The Lion of the West" by James Paulding. First performed in 1831, it features a comedic characterization of Davy Crockett named Col. Nimrod Wildfire who attempts to woo a young French woman.
Noun
nimrod (plural nimrods)
- (chiefly US, informal, derogatory) A foolish person; an idiot.
- Don't stick your fingers in the fan, you nimrod!
Synonyms
- (pejorative term meaning idiot): doofus, fathead, lamebrain, numbskull
- See also Thesaurus:idiot
References
- “Nimrod”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000, archived from the original on 25 January 2007, retrieved 27 September 2006
- Steinbeck, John (1962) Travels with Charley: In Search of America, 1997 edition, Penguin, →ISBN, page 45
- “Nimrod, n.”, in Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2007
- http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/nimrod-2016-02-17
- nimrod at OneLook Dictionary Search