egg-head

An egg-head reads a thick book in a quiet library.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An intellectual; a person regarded as highly intelligent, educated, and often somewhat out of touch with everyday practical matters.
   • Often used in a mildly derogatory or teasing way to describe someone who is overly academic or bookish.

Usage Examples

• (A person who is very intellectual.)
• (Intellectuals seen as detached from practical life.)

Advanced Usage

• "Egg-head" is typically informal and may carry a slightly mocking tone, implying that the person is more concerned with theory than with common sense or everyday experience.
• It is often used in contrast to "blue-collar" or "practical" workers.

Variants and Related Words

• Egghead (n): the same as "egg-head"; sometimes written as one word without a hyphen.
  • The professor is a classic egghead, with thick glasses and a pile of books on his desk.
• Eggheaded (adj): having the characteristics of an egghead; intellectual but impractical.
  • His eggheaded approach to politics alienated voters. (His overly intellectual approach.)

Synonyms

• Intellectual: a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about society and culture.
• Highbrow: a person with refined intellectual or cultural tastes, often seen as snobbish.
• Brainiac: a very intelligent person (informal, sometimes playful).
• Bookworm: a person devoted to reading and study (often implies a lack of social skills).

Related Idioms

• "Egg-head" does not have common phrasal verbs or idioms, but it is itself a slang term. There is no standard idiom involving "egg-head" beyond its literal use as a noun.

Etymology (for context)

• The term originated in the early 20th century, likely from the stereotype that intellectuals have large, egg-shaped heads to accommodate their large brains. It gained popularity in the 1950s during political campaigns in the United States.