Bring Back Bugs Bunny Barbs
How to insult the proverbial deplorables this year.
This week, we’ll honor evewyone’s favowite wascawwy wabbit, Bugs Bunny, in three pieces as short as his own film shorts. This here’s the thoid. Read the foist here, nimrod. And here’s the second, Mac.
You know all about “nimrod,” but what about “ignoranimus,” or “ta-ra-ra goon-de-ay”? Bugs Bunny, that rascal, has all kinds of creative insults for his various animated nemeses—most of which are defined within the handy Oxford-American dictionary. Here are some favorites, in alphabetical order.
ignoranimus |ˌiɡnəˈranəməs| noun
A mispronunciation of “ignoramus,” meaning “an ignorant or stupid person.”
maroon |məˈro͞on| noun
Boy, this one’s a doozy. Bugs, of course, was simply mispronouncing “moron,” a mispronunciation similar to “ignoranimus.” But, uh, in the 18th century, it referred to “a member of any of various communities in parts of the Caribbean who were originally descended from escaped slaves.”
nincompoop |ˈniNGkəmˌpo͞op| noun
“A foolish or stupid person.”
rascal |ˈrask(ə)l| noun
“A mischievous or cheeky person, especially a child or man, and typically used in an affectionate way).”
screwy |ˈskro͞oē| adjective, informal
“Rather odd or eccentric.”
stinker |ˈstiNGkər| noun, informal
“A person or thing that smells very bad; a very bad or unpleasant person or thing.”
ta-ra-ra goon-de-ay | täräräˈɡo͞ondēyā
A ridiculously over-the-top riff on a classic vaudeville and music hall song called “Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay,” we’re pretty sure this just means “goon,” or “a silly, foolish, or eccentric person.”
Honestly? There’s probably more. But for now, th-th-th—oh, you know the rest.
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