pod person

English

Etymology

From the 1955 science fiction novel The Body Snatchers and subsequent film adaptations, in which aliens use mysterious pods to grow replicas of humans that are perfect in every way except for their lack of personality.

Noun

pod person (plural pod people)

1. (derogatory) A conformist person, especially one who lacks personality or originality.
   • 1996, Constance Hiser, Sixth Grade Star:

     If I hadn't known better, I would have sworn that aliens had stolen the real Jessica and replaced her with some pod person.

   • 2003, Bett Williams, The Wrestling Party:

     "I'm not stalking you," she said, with all the sincerity of a pod person in The Body Snatchers.

   • 2023 February 6, Caitlin Moscatello, “The Fleishman Effect”, in New York‎^[1]:

     Both avenues are shit. You can stay in New York and climb, climb, climb and never get where you need to go and give yourself a nervous breakdown, or you can move to the suburbs and be like, Who the fuck are these pod people? Neither seems great.

References

• Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2024), “pod person”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.
• Jeff Prucher, editor (2007), “pod person, n.”, in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 151.
• OED 2006 online