Trivia
HardWhich Cartoon Character Managed To Turn The Name Of A Mighty Hunter Into An Insult?
Answer: Bugs Bunny
Although it has fallen out of favor in general use, most people still recognize “nimrod” as an insult that means the target of the insult is stupid or incompetent. That usage is far removed from the origin of the word, however. According to Biblical tradition, Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah and a mighty hunter of legendary skill, and that’s exactly how the word was used for hundreds of years; a nimrod was a mighty and dedicated hunter with great skill.
In an early Looney Toons cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny and the persistent hunter that sought poor Bugs, Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny made a reference that changed the popular usage of the word forever. After yet another failed attempt to hunt him, Bugs quips that Fudd is a “poor little Nimrod”.
The joke was intended to allude to the fact that Fudd was an obsessive hunter who wouldn’t give up on the hunt, but the biblical/cultural reference was lost on the millions of children watching the cartoon short and they interpreted the statement as Fudd being a “poor little idiot” because he couldn’t actually catch Bugs Bunny. Their interpretation stuck and Nimrod entered popular usage framed in an entirely new light.
Trivia
HardA Pen Invented By Thomas Edison Is Still In Use Today For What Purpose?
Trivia
EasyConcerns Over The Stability Of The Brooklyn Bridge Were Silenced By Marching What Over It?
Trivia
HardIn Ancient Persia, Which Of These Was Used As An Important Agricultural Timekeeping Device?
Trivia
HardSweden Has An SMS Alert System For?
Trivia
EasyRuminants Differ From Other Animals In That They Have?
Trivia
HardIn 1984 The U.S. Experienced The First Death Caused By What?
Trivia
HardThe Most Expensive Super Bowl Rings Were Purchased By Which Team?
Trivia
HardIn Which Sci-Fi Franchise Did An Actor Marry The Real-Life Daughter Of His On-Screen Predecessor?
Trivia
HardPrior to 1976, London Cab Drivers Could Be Fined For Not Keeping What In Their Cab?