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Nuances of 'twerp'?
11 Aug 2023 06:00 pmI was surprised to find only these definitions of "twerp" at wiktionary:
I would have said that it also carries an implication that the puny character is a pest, like... a terrier, or Brad Marchand. But this definition definitely doesn't allow for that implication.
Glancing through a page of search results, only Britannica and Urban Dictionary seem to have that nuance ("annoying" and "obnoxious").
What about everyone else?
Noun
twerp (plural twerps)
(UK, colloquial) A fool, a twit.
Now you've broken it, you twerp!
1940, Fred Godfrey (lyrics and music), “Bless 'Em All”[1], performed by George Formby:
There's many an airman just finishin' his time. There's many a twerp signing on.
(US, colloquial, childish) A small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible.
Get out of my way, you little twerp!
(US, colloquial, childish) A person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased. Sometimes used as a pet-name (often for a younger sibling).
I would have said that it also carries an implication that the puny character is a pest, like... a terrier, or Brad Marchand. But this definition definitely doesn't allow for that implication.
Glancing through a page of search results, only Britannica and Urban Dictionary seem to have that nuance ("annoying" and "obnoxious").
What about everyone else?
