How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. R. W. Holder. 2014.
Booby — Boo by (b[=oo] b[y^]), n.; pl. {Boobies} ( b[i^]z). [Sp. bobo dunce, idiot; cf. L. balbus stammering, E. barbarous.] [1913 Webster] 1. A dunce; a stupid fellow. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A swimming bird ({Sula fiber} or {Sula sula})… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
booby — 1590s, from Sp. bobo stupid person, slow bird (used of various ungainly seabirds), probably from L. balbus stammering (like barbarian, from an imitative root, Cf. Czech blblati to stammer, Skt. balbala karoti he stammers ). Booby prize is 1883,… … Etymology dictionary
Booby — Boo by (b[=oo] b[y^]), a. Having the characteristics of a booby; stupid. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
booby — Ⅰ. booby [1] ► NOUN (pl. boobies) 1) informal a stupid person. 2) a large tropical seabird of the gannet family. ORIGIN probably from Spanish bobo, from Latin balbus stammering . Ⅱ. booby … English terms dictionary
Booby — Booby, Insel, s. Bubi … Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
booby — [bo͞o′bē] n. pl. boobies [prob. < Sp bobo, stupid < L balbus, stammering < IE echoic base * bal bal ] 1. a stupid or foolish person; nitwit 2. any of a genus (Sula, family Sulidae) of pelecaniform birds that dive and feed on fish of warm … English World dictionary
Booby — pp semi protected|small=yesTaxobox name = Booby image caption = Blue footed Booby displaying by raising a foot image width = 240px regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Pelecaniformes familia = Sulidae genus = Sula genus… … Wikipedia
booby — A word for a fool which was introduced to English from Spanish (bobo=fool) at the beginning of the seventeenth century. A booby is the kind of man who would be caught out by a booby trap, but the term is often used jokingly, to imply mild… … A dictionary of epithets and terms of address
booby — n. (pl. ies) 1 a stupid or childish person. 2 a small gannet of the genus Sula. Phrases and idioms: booby hatch esp. US sl. a mental hospital. booby prize a prize given to the least successful competitor in any contest. booby trap 1 a trap… … Useful english dictionary
booby — booby1 boobyish, adj. /booh bee/, n., pl. boobies. 1. a stupid person; dunce. 2. a gannet of the genus Sula, having a bright bill, bright feet, or both: some are endangered. [1590 1600; earlier pooby, appar. b. poop to befool (now obs.) and BABY; … Universalium
