screwball
/ˈskɹuːbɔːl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.44 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A pitch thrown with added pressure by the index finger and a twisting wrist motion resulting in a motion to the right when thrown by a right-handed pitcher.
noun
Example Sentences
- "The screwball is not thrown much because it tends to damage pitcher's arms."
- "I will not listen to this screwball any longer."
- "Also a big hand for Silver Linings Playbook, an exuberant modern screwball comedy we had, in an unseemly fit of cynicism, deemed "too entertaining" for Academy voters."
- "Unleashed as part of the second wave of Nicktoons, Rocko's Modern Life introduced young viewers to the sort of existential crises that adults face daily, all while delighting both kids and grownups with witty observational humor, screwball characters, and subversive gags."
Etymology
Usage
- American usage
- Derogatory
- Informal