Whippersnappers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A colloquial term referring to young people, often implying they are immature or inexperienced
2. An informal expression for youthful individuals, frequently suggesting a lack of respect or awareness regarding their elders
3. A playful term for youngsters, typically used to criticize or jest about their presumptuousness or overconfidence

Etymology: Whippersnappers is the plural of "whippersnapper," and the singular form appears to have begun as a literal description of a skill. Its likeliest source is "whip-snapper," meaning someone who cracks a whip, with the word later stretched to describe a cocky young person who seems to crack the whip over his elders. The image of a noisy, showy youth with a whip has stuck to the term ever since. The source also raises another possibility: that the word grew out of "snipper-snapper," a similar-sounding expression. Both suggestions share the same idea of quick, sharp noise, and the choice between them is uncertain. A related term, "whipperginnie," was used as an insult for a woman in the late 16th century, showing that the "whip-" and "snap-" pattern of mocking nicknames was already common in English.

Synonyms: youngsters, youths

Antonyms: elders, seniors