ninnyhammer

English

Noun

ninnyhammer (plural ninnyhammers)

  1. a foolish person; a simpleton
    • 1608, A Yorkshire Tragedy, dubiously claimed to be by William Shakespeare
      Why, the more fool she; aye, the more ninny hammer she.
    • 1712, John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull
      "You silly, awkward, ill-bred country sow," quoth one, "have you no more manners than to rail at Hocus that has saved that clod-pated numskulled ninny-hammer of yours from ruin, and all his family?
    • 1955, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
      'Well, if I don't deserve to be hung on the end of one as a warning to numbskulls! You're nowt but a ninnyhammer, Sam Gamgee: that's what the Gaffer said to me often enough, it being a word of his. Rope!'

Synonyms
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