naughty list

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English

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Etymology

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Certainly connected with, and possibly derived from, the lyrics of a Christmas carol, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town":

He's makin a list / and checkin it twice / He's gonna find out / who's naughty or nice

Pronunciation

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Noun

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naughty list (plural naughty lists)

  1. According to Christmas folklore, a list kept by Santa Claus of children who have been naughty, and who will therefore not be given as many presents.
    Antonym: Christmas list
  2. (by extension) Any hypothetical list of naughty people.
    You don't want to get on the FBI's naughty list.