twinkie
/ˈtwɪŋki/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.39 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A yellow cake with a creamy white filling, known for its artificiality and supposedly long shelf life.
noun
Synonym of banana: A person of East Asian descent considered to have overly assimilated and to be subservient to white authority, an East Asian race traitor.
Derogatory
noun
Alternative letter-case form of twinkie.
noun
A generic snack product consisting of an oblong yellow cake with a creamy white filling.
noun
An actor, actress, or public figure regarded primarily for their physical attractiveness rather than for substantive talent, achievement or contribution.
noun
Alternative letter-case form of Twinkie.
Example Sentences
- "This twinkie was enveloped in an oversize parka with the hood pulled so far forward that all that could be seen of his face was a frostbitten nose and a microphone."
- "Indeed, this unexpected emergent talent could propel Barrymore to an acting orbit adjacent to that of her Gardens co-star, Jessica Lange – who, let's remember, started out herself as a big-screen twinkie, in the 1976 King Kong, as the big ape's unwilling object of affection."
- "Tom Ford, who said he was “a twinkie” at Studio 54 in the days when Halston hung out there with Liza Minnelli, Liz Taylor, Bianca Jagger and Warhol, was also impressed with Mr. McGregor and the show."
Etymology
The brand name is said to be a diminutive, twinkle + -ie (or otherwise modified), based on a billboard for "Twinkle Toe Shoes" in St. Louis, although there are also claims for solely one or the other. The meaning in reference to well-assimilated Asians is derived from the slur that they are "yellow on the outside, white on the inside".