whippersnapper

English
WOTD – 5 August 2006

Alternative forms

Etymology

Extension of *whip-snapper (“a cracker of whips”), or perhaps from snipper-snapper. Compare also whipperginnie (“term of abuse for a woman”), late 16th c.[1]

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈwɪpəˌsnæpə/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈʍɪpəɹˌsnæpəɹ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Noun

whippersnapper (plural whippersnappers)

  1. A young and cheeky or presumptuous person. [from 1670s]
    • 2004: Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
      Eisenhower thought that the President-elect, his junior by over 25 years, was merely a "young whippersnapper."

Synonyms

Translations

References
  1. “whipper-snapper” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
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