Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nigger in the woodpile

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.84 in modern English

Syllables: nig-ger in the -wood-pile
IPA

30

Scrabble Score

19

Letters

4

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A hidden motive, influence or factor; a concealed (potential) snag; something suspicious.

Dated; Offensive

Example Sentences

"Democra s^([sic]) placed no nigger in the woodpile—the imputation came with a bad grace from the gentleman from Kosciusko."
"(Bus traffic in the London area fell 33 per cent, although the total for public transport increased by 8 per cent; but private car journeys, the nigger in the public transport woodpile, went up 78 per cent in the decade)."

Etymology

First attested in the 1840s.

Usage

Inflected Forms

niggers in the woodpile (plural) niggers in woodpiles (plural) nigger in the wood-pile (alternative) nigger in the wood pile (alternative)

Synonyms

nigger in the fence Ethiopian in the woodpile monkey in the woodpile

Questions

What does nigger in the woodpile mean?: A hidden motive, influence or factor; a concealed (potential) snag; something suspicious.
Where does nigger in the woodpile come from?: First attested in the 1840s.

How to pronounce nigger in the woodpile

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