Kookie

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkʊkiː/

Definitions

1. A person who behaves in an unusual or quirky way, often seen as odd or unconventional
2. Someone displaying odd or unconventional traits that make them seem peculiar or unconventional
3. An individual who acts in a bizarre or whimsical manner, appearing different from the norm

Etymology: "Kookie" is a clipping of "kookaburra," the Australian laughing kookaburra, a large kingfisher whose loud, cackling call sounds like wild laughter. The clipped form takes the first syllable of the bird's name and adds the diminutive "-ie" ending, a pattern common in informal English and Australian speech. The bird's name itself comes from an Aboriginal Australian word imitating its call. The jump from bird to odd person is the key link. Someone whose behaviour seemed as eccentric or noisy as the kookaburra's cackle could be called a "kookie," and the adjective sense grew naturally from that comparison with the bird.

Synonyms: eccentric, quirky, strange, odd, weird

Antonyms: normal, conventional, ordinary, typical, usual