twerp

English

Alternative forms

• twirp

Etymology

Of uncertain origin; originally British slang of the 1910s. In a letter, dated 6 October 1944, J. R. R. Tolkien mentions a contemporary of his at Oxford University T.W. Earp, calling him "the original twerp"; but no corroborating evidence for this etymology has come to light. Other suggestions include: a clipping of Antwerp (“type of racing pigeon that flew between Antwerp and London”); the onomatopoeic twirp (“imitation of the sound of a bird”); a dialectal variant of dwarf (compare Middle English dwerf); Welsh twp (“a fool”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /twɝp/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /twɜːp/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)p

Noun

twerp (plural twerps) (colloquial)

1. (UK) A fool, a twit.

   Synonyms: twit, git

   Now you've broken it, you twerp!

   • 1940, Fred Godfrey (lyrics and music), “Bless 'Em All”‎^[1]performed by George Formby:

     There's many an airman just finishin' his time. There's many a twerp signing on.

2. (US, childish) A small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible.

   Synonyms: twerk; see also Thesaurus:worthless person

   Get out of my way, you little twerp!

3. (US, childish) A person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased. Sometimes used as a pet-name (often for a younger sibling).

Related terms

• derp
• twerk

Translations

a fool, a twit

• Bulgarian: глупак (bg) m (glupak)
• Russian: дура́к (ru) m (durák), тупи́ца (ru) m or f (tupíca)

a small or puny person; one regarded as insignificant, contemptible

• Russian: ничто́жество (ru) n (ničtóžestvo)
• Slovak: krpec m
• Spanish: pendejo (es) m

a person who can be bullied playfully, or easily teased

• Dutch: ettertje (nl)
• Russian: простофи́ля (ru) m or f (prostofílja)
• Slovak: krpec m
• Spanish: pendejo (es) m

References

• See Citations:twerp.