nitwit
English
editEtymology
editFirst attested in the 1910s in the US Northeast. Likely from German nit, dialectal form of nichts (“nothing”), or Yiddish ניט (nit), dialectal form of נישט (nisht, “no”), although some dictionaries give the alternative etymology nit (“louse egg; something very small”) + wit.
Pronunciation
edit- (US) IPA(key): /ˈnɪtwɪt/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Noun
editnitwit (plural nitwits)
- (informal) A scatterbrained or stupid person.
- 1918, State Bar Association of Connecticut, Annual Report, page 82:
- If you don't remember you are a nitwit. If you do answer, well, you know what the penalty is for perjury.
- 1921, Emmett Campbell Hall, “Need a Hero be a Nitwit?”, in The Editor, page 58:
- 1922, Nina Wilcox Putnam, Laughter Inc:
- "Don't be a nitwit, honey!" says Adele. "Here, let me open the door! Ma be I did leave them lights on, though it ain't ike me!"
Synonyms
edit- See also Thesaurus:fool
Translations
editCategories:
- English terms derived from German
- English terms derived from Yiddish
- English compound terms
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English informal terms
- English terms with quotations
- English bahuvrihi compounds
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