Fogscoffer

/ˈfɔɡˌskɔfər/ noun

Definition

A person who scoffs at or ridicules fogeys and old-fashioned thinking; someone who mocks outdated ideas or people stuck in the past.

Etymology

Compound word from 'fogs' (plural of 'fog' or 'fogey') and 'scoffer' (one who scoffs, from Old Norse 'skúfa' meaning to push or mock). A creative combination expressing mockery of old-fashionedness.

Kelly Says

This wonderfully creative insult—calling someone a 'fogscoffer'—was a way for progressive Victorians to dismiss critics of new inventions and radical ideas as merely mocking old people rather than engaging with genuine arguments.

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