Buzz
Thanks to social media, slang terms and expressions can spread worldwide in what seems like seconds. However, catchy phrases were making waves long before influencers championed guyliner-clad pop icons or Gen Z users shared their opinions on fake news, mansplaining, and beyond.
A recent study by digital subscription platform Readly delved into its magazine archives to uncover popular terms from the past and determine when they faded from print. Alongside charming phrases like crinkum-crankum (“intricate ornamentation”) and sweetmeat (“a sweet delicacy”), the research unearthed a collection of witty insults that have nearly vanished—perfect for adding flair to your next debate.
Explore Readly’s complete timeline of terms here, and discover which insults stood out as our top picks.
1. Loathly
A variant of loathsome, which means “disgusting,” this term enjoyed a remarkable 900-year history as an insult, beginning in 1099 and remaining popular until 1945.
2. Purblind
As per the Merriam-Webster definition, purblind initially referred to “blindness” in the 1400s, later evolving to describe someone who is narrow-minded or lacks understanding.
3. Poltroon
Next time you meet someone who’s an “absolute coward,” feel free to label them a poltroon. Chances are, they’re too much of a poltroon to even question what poltroon means.
4. Slugabed
While this word for “someone who sleeps in late” has been out of fashion since the early 1900s, it’s an ideal jab at your roommate who can’t resist hitting the snooze button every morning.
5. Mooncalf
This rare term for a simpleton also historically referred to someone who was “inconstant or unreliable,” as noted by the Oxford English Dictionary.
More Articles About Insults:
6. Fainéant
Originating from fait-nient, French for “doing nothing,” fainéant was a popular term from 1619 to 1670 to describe someone lazy or ineffective. While the term faded, the fainéants didn’t—they’re still found in almost every group project.
7. Otiose
To add more weight when calling someone a fainéant, you could also label them otiose, which means “idle” or “indolent.”
8. Scaramouch
In Italy’s commedia dell’arte—a theatrical style featuring ensemble casts, improvisation, and masks—Scaramouch was a stock character known for his bravado masking cowardice. Similar to how scrooge now means miser, the term scaramouch was used from the 1600s to the 1800s to describe any blustering coward. If the word sounds familiar, it’s because Queen immortalized it in their operatic hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” though scaramouches aren’t typically associated with fandango dancing.
9. Quidnunc
Derived from the Latin phrase quid nunc, meaning “What now?”, a quidnunc is a nosy, meddlesome individual always hunting for the latest gossip. Though its usage declined in the early 1900s, it’s perfect for that friend who shamelessly reads your texts over your shoulder.
10. Sciolist
A sciolist is someone “who feigns expertise.” While they might deceive a mooncalf or two, any true expert would easily see through their act.
11. and 12. Rapscallion and Scapegrace
Both rapscallion and scapegrace are delightful terms for describing a troublemaker—though it’s debatable whether such a person would even take offense. Popular between the 1700s and 1900s, scapegrace describes someone who has strayed from divine grace, while rapscallion is a more colorful version of the word rascal, sharing the same meaning.
