A player in sports who plays on the edge or wing of the field, or someone who operates on the extremes.
From wing + -er (one who does something). Wing comes from Old Norse vængr. The sports position developed naturally from the shape of the playing field.
Political wingers (far-left and far-right) use the same metaphor as soccer—both put the most extreme players on the 'wings,' which is why 'reaching across the aisle' means moving from the wing toward the center.
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