different between numskull vs nong

English

Alternative forms

• numbskull

Etymology

numb (“deadened”) +? skull

Noun

numskull (plural numskulls)

1. (derogatory) A dunce, mentally dull or stupid person.
2. (derogatory) A person who refuses to learn or grow mentally.

   That numskull will never learn how to compose a letter.

3. A traditional name for a fool who serves as the butt of jokes about stupidity.

Synonyms

• airhead
• bubblehead
• thickhead
• See also Thesaurus:fool
• See also Thesaurus:idiot

Derived terms

• numpty, numptie

Translations

References

• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

English

Etymology

Probably shortened from ning-nong.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /n??/

Noun

nong (plural nongs)

1. (slang, Australia, New Zealand) An idiot.
   • 1983, Robert Drewe, The Bodysurfers, Penguin 2009, p. 126:

     ‘In there, you nong,’ Max said, pointing out a pink-brick home with a 1950s skillion roof.

   • 2008, Michael Panckridge, Hat Trick! Toby Jones, Books 1-3, 2010, unnumbered page,

     ‘You guys are such nongs! Why would you want to face up to Shoaib Akhtar when you could win a World Cup against the young blond Aussie star at the home of cricket?’

   • 2010, John Dale (editor), Best on Ground: Great Writers on the Greatest Game, unnumbered page,

     […] and spend every second Saturday defiant and one-eyed among the opposition nongs at the Barkly Street end.

Mandarin

Romanization

nong

1. Nonstandard spelling of nóng.
2. Nonstandard spelling of n?ng.
3. Nonstandard spelling of nòng.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà N?i) IPA^(key): [naw??m??]
• (Hu?) IPA^(key): [naw??m??]
• (H? Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [naw??m??]

Etymology 1

Compare Proto-Bahnaric *-?o?? (“winnowing basket”) and Proto-Katuic *k?o? (“winnowing basket”).

Noun

(classifier cái) nong • (????)

1. winnowing basket

Etymology 2

Verb

nong • (????)

1. to make bigger or larger