pencil-neck
9.9
A person who is thin and seen as weak or nerdy
- noun
- /ˈpɛnslˌnɛk/
- Offensive
:
flacucho
- After reading several academic papers, he joked that he was becoming a real pencil-neck among his friends.
Examples
-
Outta my way, pencil-neck!
-
He's a pencil-neck.
-
The bulky athlete teased his teammate, calling him a pencil-neck because of his slim build.
-
The tough coach often dismissed the pencil-necks on the team as not tough enough for the sport.
Synonyms
9.9
A shy person who looks thin and likes books
focuses more on thinness, weakness, or being overly intellectual rather than social traits
How Thin
pencil-neck
- Offensive
thin person
4
2.1
4
2.1
Surface Forms
pencil-neck singular
pencil-necks plural
Morphology
Etymology
Pencil-neck joins pencil and neck to paint a simple image of a very thin neck like a 'pencil'. That's why it became a rude slang word for someone who seems weak, scrawny, or overly bookish.