rat-licker

English

Etymology

From the urban myth that people in the Middle Ages licked rats to ward off the bubonic plague.

Noun

rat-licker (plural rat-lickers)

1. (derogatory, neologism) A person who refuses to take preventative measures during a disease outbreak (especially the COVID-19 pandemic).
   • 2020 August 17, Nikolai Kingsley, “Re: Find the edge of the 5km quarantine limit and stand on it”, in talk.bizarre‎^[1] (Usenet):

     > I'm the kind of person who prefers to stay indoors.
     good to know you ain't no rat-licker: [link to the Urban Dictionary entry of “rat-licker”]

   • 2020 December 25, “The Luv Doc: An Established Tradition: It's really hard to stab someone to death with an icicle”, in The Austin Chronicle‎^[2]:

     I think the solution to your dilemma is obvious. You need to go swap some hot, dank, virus-heavy air with an overly clingy group of rat lickers.

   • 2021 July 25, “Time to jab anti-vaxxers mass rallies”, in Sunday Mirror, London, page 12:

     Less open-minded critics branded it a “rat licker rally” warning others to beware of the “tin foil hat brigade”. Meanwhile, the protesters themselves disputed whether they were demonstrating against the vaccine passport or the vaccine itself.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:rat-licker.