village idiot

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English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

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From the saying “Every village has its village idiot”, alleged to be an old Yiddish proverb.[1]

Noun

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village idiot (plural village idiots)

  1. A person widely known in their community for their stupidity and ignorant behaviour.
    • 1825, The Abduction; Or, the Adventures of Major Sarney: A Story of the Times of Charles the Second, volume II, Charles Knight, page 170:
      It is true that the Doocot was occasionally appropriated to other purposes than that of a tolbooth for the sorner, the drunken gipsy, the village idiot at the change of the moon, the swearing bluegown, and the contumacious birdnester on the sabbath; []
    • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 85:
      "So kindly keep the vainglorious enumeration of your pots for the benefit of those village idiots who compose your particular set of boozing companions."
    • 2002 July 4, David F. Gallagher, “Star of 'I Kiss You' Site Moves From Farce to Folklore”, in The New York Times[2], →ISSN, retrieved 2024-08-13:
      To some, Mr. Cagri was the Internet's village idiot, but others were touched by his warmth or just tickled by the absurdity of the whole phenomenon.

Usage notes

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Usually used in the singular with the definite article (“the village idiot”) or preceded by another definite determiner (“its”, “our”, ...).

Translations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Abigail Van Buren (1999 March 26) “Year 2000 is not quite the new millennium”, in Chicago Tribune[1], Tribune Publishing.