Mollycoddlers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who indulges or pampers someone excessively, often leading to them being spoiled
2. someone who coddles another to an extreme degree, undermining their independence
3. an individual who provides unnecessary comfort or protection, preventing growth or resilience

Etymology: Before it described indulgent parents, "coddle" meant to cook gently in water, as in coddled eggs, which are simmered rather than boiled. The sense of treating someone tenderly, as if they were fragile, grew out of that cooking meaning. "Coddle" is probably linked to "caudle," a warm, soothing drink or gruel, so the idea of gentle warmth was present from the start. The first part, "molly," is less certain. It may come from "Molly," a familiar form of the female name Mary, which was slang for a woman or, in some uses, an effeminate man. Combining it with "coddle" produced "mollycoddle," a verb for pampering someone excessively. The "-er" ending turns the verb into a noun for the person who does the pampering.

Synonyms: pamperers, indulgers

Antonyms: disciplinarians