Schrödinger's douchebag
- noun
- /ˈʃroʊdɪŋərz ˈduːʃbæɡ/
- Offensive
:
[vulgar] gilipollas de Schrödinger
- You never know with him; he's a Schrödinger's douchebag until you see how he acts in different situations.
Examples
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Some people thought Mark was charming, but others suspected he was just a Schrödinger's douchebag.
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Until she revealed her true colors, we all considered her a Schrödinger's douchebag in the group.
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You never know if he's a Schrödinger's douchebag until you talk to him.
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Is she just a Schrödinger's douchebag or genuinely nice?
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You can never be sure of his intentions; he remains a Schrödinger's douchebag until you witness his behavior first-hand.
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Everyone in the office had their own opinion about her, but she was still a Schrödinger's douchebag to those who hadn't interacted with her.
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His charming smile led many to believe he was kind, but he was often viewed as a Schrödinger's douchebag by those who knew him well.
How Rude
Surface Forms
Morphology
Schrödinger's + douchebag
The expression pairs the proper-name reference to Schrödinger (i.e. Schrödinger's cat thought experiment) with the derogatory noun 'douchebag', so its meaning—a person whose true character is indeterminate until observed—is a metaphorical extension of that scientific reference. This is predictable for learners who know the Schrödinger's cat concept, but an average B1 learner who only knows the surface words will likely lack the necessary cultural/scientific background, making the phrase only partially transparent.
Etymology
Schrödinger's douchebag comes from Schrödinger's famous image of a cat that is both alive and dead until someone looks in the box, while douchebag means a rude person. So the phrase means someone whose true character, 'rude' or 'decent', is unknown until you see how they act.