nincumpoop

English

Noun

nincumpoop (plural nincumpoops)

1. Obsolete spelling of nincompoop
   • 1706, Michael de Cervantes Saavedra [i.e., Miguel de Cervantes], “How Don Quixote Took His Leave of the Duke, and what Happen’d between Him and the Witty Wanton Altisidora, the Duchesses Damsel”, in John Stevens, transl., The History of the Most Ingenious Knight Don Quixote de la Mancha. […], 2nd revised and amended edition, volume II, London: Printed for R. Chiswell, S. and J. Sprint, R. Battersby, S. Smith, and B. Walford, M. Wotton and G. Conyers, →OCLC, page 335:

     May'ſt thou paſs for a Nincumpoop all the World over, / From Paris to France, and from England to Dover.

   • [1785, [Francis Grose], “Nickumpoop, or Nincumpoop”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC:

     Nickumpoop, or Nincumpoop, a fooliſh fellow; alſo one who never ſaw his wife's ****.]

   • 1802, Joanna Baillie, “The Election: A Comedy, in Five Acts”, in A Series of Plays: In which It is Attempted to Delineate the Stronger Passions of the Mind. […], 2nd edition, volume II, London: Printed for T[homas] Cadell, Jun. and W[illiam] Davies, […], →OCLC, act I, scene i, pages 4–5:

     What, do you give it up so? you poor, ſpiritleſs nincumpoops! I would roar till I burſted firſt, before I would give it up so to such a low-liv'd, beggarly rabble.

   • 1835, Catherine G[eorge] Ward, chapter V, in The Fisher’s Daughter, or The Wanderings of Wolf, and the Fortunes of Alfred. […], 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Published by William Burnett, […], →OCLC, page 82:

     No, but I take you for a man, Peter, who when good fortune throws something in his way, would indeed be a nincumpoop if ever he slighted her favours.