| Front | waggish \WAG-ish\ |
|---|---|
| Back | adjective 1. Displaying good-humored mischief. 2. Humorous. [One who is waggish acts like a wag. What, then, is a wag? Etymologists think "wag" probably came from "waghalter," a word that was once used for a "gallows bird" (that is, a person who was going to be, or deserved to be, hanged). "Waghalter" was apparently shortened to "wag" and used jokingly or affectionately for mischievous pranksters or youths. Hence a wag is a joker, and waggery is merriment or practical joking. "Waggish" can describe the prank itself as well as the prankster type; the class clown might be said to have a "waggish disposition" or might be said to be prone to "waggish antics."] |
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