moxie
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFirst recorded use in 1930. From the name of an American soft drink Moxie made since 1885 to which advertisement ascribed many beneficial properties directly but also indirectly by using the same name as a patent medicine first manufactured in 1878. The word appears in very many place names in Maine, especially of falls and ponds, and is perhaps ultimately from an Abenaki word meaning dark water.[1][2][3]
Pronunciation
editNoun
editmoxie (uncountable) (US, informal)
- Nerve, spunk, strength of character.
- Synonyms: spirit, backbone, determination, fortitude
- 2023 November 11, Emma Jacobs, quoting Aline Brosh McKenna, “When will I start caring less about everything?”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 4:
- Aline Brosh McKenna, one of the creators of The CW TV series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, told a reporter in 2020: “I often say, ‘Lord, give me the moxie of a post-menopausal women[sic] who gives absolutely no fucks.’”
- Verve.
- Synonyms: vigor, pep, energy, initiative
- 1971, John Updike, Rabbit Redux, page 401:
- As a girl she had speed and a knock-kneed moxie at athletics, and might have done more with it if she hadn't harvested all the glory already.
- 2011 January 29, “Rollercoaster: The Musical!” (“Aren't You a Little Young?” (song)), in Phineas and Ferb, season 2, episode 38, spoken by Building Engineer (Dan Povenmire):
- Yes it's true! / That you seem a little young to do the things that you do, / even with all that moxie you've got.
- Wit, smarts, skill.
- Synonym: know-how
Usage notes
editThe origin of this word as the name of a popular product marketed as a cure-all may help to understand the logic behind the plurality of its similar meanings. The meanings can be grouped into "cures" for the problems of feeling too weak in spirit, body, or mind; in other words, of being overwhelmed/helpless, exhausted/listless, or confused/perplexed.
Translations
edit- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
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References
edit- ^ 50 Things to Do in Maine Before You Die, by Nancy Griffin; Rowman & Littlefield, 2017
- ^ Moxie, website of the city of Lowell, Massachusetts
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “moxie”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams
edit- English terms derived from Abenaki
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɒksi
- Rhymes:English/ɒksi/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- American English
- English informal terms
- English terms with quotations