(Not political) Why is there so much confusion about this word? I've known it since I was maybe 8, and that's with a South Carolina rural public education! I admit it is rarely used, for good reason, but why are Mesrrs Funk & Wagnall being swamped with queries about it?
Huh? Who knows they are being swamped besides you? Give us some info at least. A link maybe? I don't think this is front-running news.
Ah. Maybe I should have put it in the dungeon for context. If I post a link ot would definitely go political. My bad.
It's what "rocket man" called trump in his latest rant. The word ranks up there with several other words that sound nasty but are not. Rocket Man is said to have attended some very fine private institutions and his formal use of the English language and vocabulary would support that. The word basically means someone who is senile/crazy.
What is this? An offroad motorcycle fitted with street tires that Homer Simpson rides? Or would that be a D'ohtard?
Hmm, around here what we call dotards are people that think doTerra shit will cure all your ails. But it seems the other definitions fit for the same group too.
I had a crazy 11th-grade English teacher who made us read all kinds of oddball stuff. It was one of our vocabulary words. I remember it because we were smartasses and started using it instead of retard. When I decided to use it towards my algebra teacher and she picked up on what we were doing and sent me to the office. My dad was not pleased when he picked me up at the principal's office.
JRR Tolkien used it in the Lord of the Rings, pretty sure it was Wormtongue talking to Theoden and Gandalf. I've seen it frequently, but I read a lot of SF/Fantasy in my time.
