whippersnapper

English

WOTD – 5 August 2006

Alternative forms

• whipper-snapper
• whipper snapper

Etymology

Extension of *whip-snapper (“a cracker of whips”), or perhaps from snipper-snapper. Compare also whipperginnie (“term of abuse for a woman”), late 16th c.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɪpəˌsnæpə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈʍɪpəɹˌsnæpəɹ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

whippersnapper (plural whippersnappers)

1. (colloquial, dated) A young and cheeky or presumptuous person; often with a connotation of ignorance via inexperience. [from 1670s]

   These whippersnappers have never had to walk far or carry water.

   • 2004, Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage:

     Eisenhower thought that the President-elect, his junior by over 25 years, was merely a "young whippersnapper."

Synonyms

• upstart

Translations

young, cheeky person

• Afrikaans: japsnoet (af)
• Bulgarian: калпазанин (bg) m (kalpazanin)
• Dutch: snotneus (nl), branie (nl), broekie (nl)
• Finnish: räkänokka (fi), märkäkorva
• German: junger Spund m, Jungspund (de) m, Bengel (de) m, Lümmel (de) m
• Icelandic: oflátungur m, merkikerti (is) n
• Italian: piccolo impertinente m
• Japanese: 青二才 (ja) (あおにさい, aonisai)
• Latin: frustum puerī n
• Polish: chłystek (pl) m
• Portuguese: metido (pt) m
• Spanish: mequetrefe m; arrapiezo m, chiquilicuatre (es), chisgarabís (es), pollastre
• Swedish: pojkspoling m, flicksnärta (sv) f, snorvalp c