chinless wonder
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.55 in modern English
23
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
4
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An ineffectual upper-class man, typically dim-witted and of a weak or indecisive character, frequently one who gained his position through nepotism or social connections.
British usage; Derogatory; Slang
Example Sentences
- "This was probably the most insufferable social event of a very dull season. The bride blushingly gave her age as forty-two, but the old battle-axe could have been an eye-witness to the San Francisco Fire. At long last, little Dagmar's folks have got her married off to Morty, the chinless wonder. He couldn't hold down a job as grocery clerk, and will be manager of father-in-law's wholesale grocery firm."
- "She is thin, starved to near perfection […] He, a chinless wonder, a credit to Carnaby Street; they stand hand in hand before the enquiry desk"
- "[Actor] John Harding personified the idle spirit of the times as a tennis-possessed chinless wonder."
Etymology
The term is derived from the characteristic recessive chin of some aristocrats, popularly thought to be caused by inbreeding and associated with limited intelligence, and from the idea of a robust chin being an indication of masculinity. The use of wonder is ironic.
Usage
- British usage
- Derogatory
- Slang