A scapegrace is an incorrigible rascal. The word originated from an older variant of 'escape,' implying someone who has escaped God's grace.
A scapegrace is an incorrigible rascal. The word originated from an older variant of 'escape,' implying someone who has escaped God's grace.
Word | scapegrace |
---|---|
Date | June 27, 2017 |
Type | noun |
Syllables | SKAYP-grayss |
Etymology | At first glance, you might think scapegrace has something in common with scapegoat, our word for a person who takes the blame for someone else's mistake or calamity. Indeed, the words do share a common source—the verb scape, a variant of escape that was once far more common than it is today. Scapegrace, which first appeared in English in the mid-18th century (over 200 years after scapegoat), arrived at its meaning through its literal interpretation as "one who has escaped the grace of God." (Two now-obsolete words based on a similar notion are scape-thrift, meaning "spendthrift," and want-grace, a synonym of scapegrace.) In ornithological circles, scapegrace can also refer to a loon with a red throat, but this sense is rare. |
Examples | "He embarks on an arduous ocean voyage to America, where he faces swindlers and scapegraces, and nearly dies of malaria—and maintains his sunny demeanor throughout." — Scot Lehigh, The Boston Globe, 1 Jan. 2016 "Theodore Roosevelt styled himself an incorruptible politician untainted by scandal. But in his path to the White House lay a troubling obstacle: his scapegrace brother, Elliott." — The Daily Beast, 19 Nov. 2016 |
Definition | : an incorrigible rascal |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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