hobbledehoy
pronunciation
How to pronounce hobbledehoy in British English:
UK ['hɒbldɪ'hɔɪ]
How to pronounce hobbledehoy in American English:
US ['hɒbəldɪ'hɔɪ]
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- Noun:
- an awkward bad-mannered adolescent boy
Word Origin
- hobbledehoy (n.)
- "clumsy or awkward youth," 1530s, of uncertain origin and the subject of much discussion. First element is probably hob in its sense of "clown, prankster" (see hobgoblin), the second element perhaps is Middle French de haye "worthless, untamed, wild," literally "of the hedge."