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jackanapes (Northern 1839) a conceited, affected, puppyish young man

princock (1540) a pert, forward, saucy boy; a conceited young man

flapadosha (Yorkshire) an eccentric, showy person with superficial manners

WITCH’S BROOM

Women, by contrast, have come in for all kinds of criticism:

mackabroin (1546) a hideous old woman

Xanthippe (1596) an ill-tempered woman, a shrew (after Socrates’s wife)

cantlax (Westmoreland) a silly, giddy woman

termagant (1659) a violent, brawling, quarrelsome woman

bungo-bessy (Jamaican 1940) a woman whose busybody qualities are considered highly undesirable

criss-miss (West Indian 1950s) a pretentious woman who overestimates her abilities, charms and allure

YUPPIES

Everyone’s so used to the word yuppie now that they forget that only twenty-five years ago it was a brand new acronym for Young Urban Professional. Here are some other acronyms coined subsequently to that famous first:

SPURMO a Straight, Proud, Unmarried Man Over 30

SADFAB Single And Desperate For A Baby

CORGI a Couple Of Really Ghastly Individuals

SITCOM Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage

KIPPERS Kids In Parental Property Eroding Retirement Savings

SKIERS Spending their Kids Inheritance (on travel, health and leisure activities)

SLYBOOTS

Better, perhaps, those who assume airs than those who seem straightforward but aren’t:

janjansy (Cornwall 1888) a two-faced person

accismus (Medieval Latin 1753) feigning a lack of interest in something while actually desiring it

mouth-honour (G. B. Shaw: Major Barbara 1907) civility without sincerity mawworm (1850) a hypocrite with delusions of sanctity

Podsnap (from the character in Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend 1864) a complacent, self-satisfied person who refuses to face unpleasant facts

skilamalink (East London slang late 19C) secret, shady

REGULAR GUY

Such characters make one long for that remarkable thing: the straightforward, decent, or just thoroughly good person …

rumblegumption (Burns: letter 1787) common sense

pancreatic (1660) fully disciplined or exercised in mind, having a universal mastery of accomplishments

towardliness (1569) a good disposition towards something, willingness, promise, aptness to learn

Rhadamanthine (Thackeray: Paris Sketchbook 1840) strictly honest and just (Rhadamanthus, Zeus’s half-human son, was made a judge of the souls of the dead due to his inflexible integrity)

… this is someone we all want to spend time with, and stay loyal to …

wine (Old English) a friend

bully (Geordie) a brother, comrade

bread-and-cheese friend (Sussex) a true friend as distinguished from a cupboard-lover (a personal attachment that appears to be motivated by love but stems from the hope of gain)

WORD JOURNEYS

amnesty (16C from Ancient Greek) forgetfulness, oblivion

nice (13C from Latin nescire: to be ignorant) foolish; then (14C) coy, shy; then (16C) fastidious, precise; then (18C) agreeable, delightful

obnoxious (16C from Latin) exposed to harm

generous (16C from Latin via Old French) nobly born

GOING POSTAL

Emotions

Be not too sad of thy sorrow,

of thy joy be not too glad

(c.1450)

Throughout the world the British were once famed for their stiff upper lip; but is this sort of imperturbability really no more than a paper-thin façade for some extremely strong feelings beneath?

ugsomeness (1440) loathing

jump salty (US slang 1996) to become angry

brain (Middle English 1100–1500) furious

throw sarcasm (Jamaican English 1835) to relieve one’s emotions by speaking out about one’s dislike for or sense of grievance against another

unbosom (1628) to disclose one’s personal thoughts or feelings

HOPPING MAD

It’s now generally agreed that it’s better to let it all out than keep it in:

dudgeon (1597) a resentful anger (dudgeon was a wood used to make dagger hilts)

mumpish (1721) sullenly angry; depressed in spirits

wooden swearing (US slang b.1935) showing anger by acts of violence or roughness, as in knocking furniture about

go postal (US slang