Hizzoner

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A casual and amusing term for an elected city official that conveys both authority and levity
2. A humorous and informal reference to a mayor or local government leader that balances respect with a touch of playfulness
3. A lighthearted way to refer to a city head that evokes a blend of seriousness and jest

Etymology: "Hizzoner" is a clipped spoken form of "his honor," the formal title used for a mayor. Its speech-based shape is the point: the phrase was run together and reshaped in everyday talk until it sounded like a single word, with the "h" of "his" carried over into the stressed syllable. The title itself is the older piece of the story. "Your Honor" and "His Honor" were long-standing ways of addressing judges and other officials, and American city politics adopted the same courtesy for mayors. The respectful wording, meant to be formal, became the raw material for a playful nickname, and the affectionate tone that comes through in the word depends on that gap between the grand title and the casual way it got said.