Monday, February 06, 2006

Word of the Day: Tufthunter

Word of the Day

tufthunter (n)

A sycophant or toady

"Mr. Brandon was a tufthunter of the genteel sort; his pride being quite as slavish, and his haughtiness as mean and cringing, in fact, as poor Mrs. Gann's stupid wonder and respect for all the persons whose names are written with titles before them."
--William Makepeace Thackeray, A Shabby Genteel Story

One of my professors in college -- who was also a famous novelist -- was highly susceptible to tufthunters. It was interesting to watch someone so esteemed and seemingly brilliant be manipulated by the flattery of mere students. Interesting and...nauseating.

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