This week’s theme
Words derived after names

This week’s words
John Henry
mollycoddle
Jones
patsy
jasper

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(PAT-see)

MEANING:

noun: One who is easily taken advantage of, by being deceived, unfairly blamed, or ridiculed.

ETYMOLOGY:

Perhaps from the name Patsy, a diminutive of Patrick or Patricia, or from Italian pazzo (crazy), whose plural is pazzi, pronounced paht-see. Earliest documented use: 1889.

USAGE:

“When Mogoeng Mogoeng was named chief justice by Mr Zuma, many worried that he would be a patsy. Yet he has steadfastly overseen rulings that thwart or chide the president.”
South Africa’s Democracy; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 19, 2015.

See more usage examples of patsy in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: