mopery with intent
- noun
- /ˈmoʊpəri wɪð ɪnˈtɛnt/
- Informal
:
conducta ridícula
- The judge smiled and dismissed the case, declaring it a mere case of mopery with intent.
Examples
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The students were charged with mopery with intent after their harmless prank.
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He joked that his only crime was mopery with intent at the office party.
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Police reports listed several instances of mopery with intent, but all in good humor.
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Don't engage in mopery with intent during the meeting!
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His constant distraction was nothing but mopery with intent.
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She described her friends' silly antics as mopery with intent, bringing laughter to the group.
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After the playful debate about dinner plans, they dubbed their discussion as mopery with intent.
Synonyms
5
7.9
Clown-like, silly actions meant to make people laugh
1
9.9
A joking word for a small, silly offense like standing around doing nothing
Playful acts that tease people in a friendly way
Foolish behavior that causes embarrassment or trouble
Antonyms
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
Given the parts, a learner who knows 'mopery' as a jokey trivial offense and 'with intent' as indicating purpose can reasonably infer the phrase refers to deliberately engaging in a trivial or foolish act. However, the expression's rare, mock-legal humor and pragmatic nuance are not fully predictable from the parts alone, so the meaning is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Mopery with intent is a joking phrase that plays on mopery, from 'mope' meaning 'to wander or sulk', and the serious words with intent. That's why people use it to call harmless, silly behavior 'a crime'.