Goofus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who is comically inept and often behaves in a silly or foolish manner while engaging in lighthearted antics
2. An individual known for their foolishness and clumsiness, often exhibiting a light spirited and playful attitude
3. A person who acts in a silly or awkward way, often causing amusement to others

Etymology: "Goofus" looks like a learned Latin word, but it is an English joke built on one. It is formed from "goof," a slang word for a clumsy or foolish person, with a fake Latin ending tacked on, the "-us" that marks many genuine Latin nouns. The ending may have been borrowed from "ignoramus," itself a Latin-looking word that the English legal and comic tradition made familiar as a term for a dunce. The effect is mock-scholarly: the speaker pretends the word is a serious classical term for a blunderer, when it is simply a playful name for someone who fumbles things. Most of its fun lies in that gap between the grand dress and the everyday meaning.

Synonyms: fool, dummy, nincompoop, simpleton, clown

Antonyms: genius, intellect, prodigy, savant, whiz