village idiot

English

Etymology

The term first appears in the preface to George Bernard Shaw's play Major Barbara, which opened in 1907. Shaw discusses how some people have treated madness or idiocy as a source of humor, remarking that "I myself have had a village idiot exhibited to me as something irresistibly funny."

Noun

village idiot (plural village idiots)

(Britain) A person widely known in their community for their stupidity and ignorant behaviour.

Translations

person widely known in their community for their stupidity and ignorant behaviour

Danish: landsbytosse c
Dutch: dorpsgek (nl) m
Finnish: kylähullu
French: idiot du village (fr) m
German: Dorftrottel (de) m
Hebrew: שוטה הכפר‎‎ (shoteh hakfar)
Hungarian: falu bolondja

Italian: scemo del villaggio
Macedonian: селска будала (sélska budála) f
Portuguese: idiota da vila m, f
Russian: городско́й сумасше́дший (ru) (gorodskój sumasšédšij)
Spanish: tonto del pueblo m
Swedish: byfåne (sv) c
West Frisian: doarpsgek

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