Yahoo (noun)
Pronunciation: ['yah-hu]
Definition: The original word was a proper noun which was "commonized", i.e. converted into a common noun. The common noun refers to any boorish, crass person.
Usage: Used in the first instance among students of 18th-century British literature. More recently it has been usurped by a successful Internet company. Despite the company's success, it's a rather unfortunate choice for a name, don't you think?
Suggested Usage: Usage: We should work to prevent this word's becoming a trademark. "She came in late and didn't hear the lecture, but still attacked him during the question period. What a yahoo." It is particularly important to impress the original meaning on young people: "Wash your hands before you eat; we aren't raising a yahoo."
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