weenie, wonkie (1955), wonk (1956)

[Fred Shapiro]

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:

> Arnold Zwicky notes in an email that "ayools" is probably a mis-scanning
> of "tools", which he recalls being used at Princeton in 1958-62.
>
> What's the earliest cite for "tool" meaning 'socially inept person' (to
> use Connie Eble's definition in _Slang and Sociability_)?  Checking
> _AmSp_, I find a mention of it all the way back in 1932:

When I was a student at MIT in the 1970s, "tool" and "nerd" were the two
most common terms for a socially maladept student (a category encompassing
nearly all MIT students).  "Geek" and "grind" were not used very much
there.

Fred Shapiro


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