quidnunc
/'kwidnʌɳk/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who meddles in the affairs of others; a gossip or busybody: A "quidnunc" is someone who is overly curious about other people's business and often spreads news or gossip, especially of a trivial or sensational nature.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The town quidnunc knew everyone's business before they knew it themselves.
- She avoided the office quidnunc, who was always asking intrusive questions about people's private lives.
Advanced Usage
- As a character type: The term is often used to describe a specific, recognizable type of person in a community or social setting, implying they are a source of rumors.
- In many small towns, the local quidnunc serves as an unofficial, and often unreliable, news service.
Variants and Related Words
- Busybody (n): A very close synonym for "quidnunc," meaning a meddlesome person.
- Gossip (n): While "gossip" can refer to the idle talk itself, it can also refer to a person who habitually spreads such talk.
- Nosy Parker (n, informal): A colloquial term for an inquisitive, prying person.
Synonyms
- Busybody
- Gossip
- Meddler
- Paul Pry (literary/archaic)
- Yenta (from Yiddish, informal)
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To have a finger in every pie: This idiom describes someone who is involved in many different activities, often meddlesomely, and can overlap with the concept of a "quidnunc."
- As the neighborhood quidnunc, she seemed to have a finger in every pie.
Noun
- a person who meddles in the affairs of others