My brother-in-law’s favorite word to describe those of questionable intelligence is “knucklehead.” He likes the word – and so do I. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term “knucklehead” was first used in 1942 by ventriloquist Paul Winchell for his dummy “Knucklehead Smiff.” The word was adopted to describe a “stupid person.” There are dozens of synonyms for the word. And there are millions of people who fit the description.
The word “knucklehead” is the name of a Canadian punk rock band. It is the title of a 2010 movie and a 1975 song by Grover Washington. It is the name of an indoor amusement park in the Wisconsin Dells and a bar in Kansas City. The word is not derogatory as to race, religion, gender, ethnicity, culture or sexual orientation. It is an equal opportunity descriptor for a really stupid person.
I frankly can see limitless application for using this word. In fact it can probably best be used for anyone who disagrees with me on any given topic.
There’s a Harley motor called a knucklehead due, I think, to the design of the cylinder head. S.
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And, of course, “knucklehead” was a favorite Three Stooges epithet!
Ed B.