spoonyn.
/ˈspuːni/, U.S. /ˈspuni/ 1. A simple, silly, or foolish person; a noodle.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupid, foolish, or inadequate person > foolish person, fool > fool, simpleton > [noun]
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totc1425
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dawc1500
hoddypeak1500
dawpatea1529
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noddy1534
kimec1535
coxcomb1542
sheep1542
sheep's head1542
goose1547
dawcock1556
nodgecock1566
peak-goosea1568
hottie tottie?c1570
Tom Towly1582
wittol1588
goose-cap1589
nodgecomb1592
ninny1593
chicken1600
fopdoodle16..
hoddy-noddy1600
hoddy-doddy1601
peagoose1606
fopster1607
nazold1607
nupson1607
wigeon1607
fondrel1613
simpleton1639
pigwidgeon1640
simpletonian1652
Tony1654
nizy1673
Simple Simon?1673
Tom Farthing1674
totty-head1680
cockcomb1684
cod1699
nikin1699
sap-pate1699
simpkin1699
mackninnya1706
gilly-gaupus?1719
noodle1720
sapskull1735
gobbin?1746
Judy1781
zanya1784
spoony1795
sap-head1798
spoon1799
gomerel1814
sap1815
neddy1818
milestone1819
sunket1823
sunketa1825
gawp1825
gawpy1825
gawpus1826
Tomnoddy1826
Sammy1828
tammie norie1828
Tommy1828
gom1834
noodlehead1835
nowmun1854
gum-sucker1855
flat-head1862
peggy1869
noodledum1883
jay1884
toot1888
peanut head1891
simp1903
sappyhead1922
Arkie1927
putz1928
steamer1932
jerk-off1939
drongo1942
galah1945
Charley1946
nong-nong1959
mouth-breather1979
twonk1981
1795 H. T. Potter New Dict. Cant & Flash (ed. 2) Spoony, a foolish pretending fellow.
1818 Sporting Mag. 3 51 He must still race on..and his owner must find spooneys to keep him company at this sport.
1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxxiv. 301 What the deuce can she find in that spoony of a Pitt Crawley?
1865 J. S. Le Fanu Guy Deverell III. xxv. 264 Time.., if he makes us sages in some particulars, in others, makes us spoonies.
2. One who spoons or is foolishly amorous.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > amorous love > [noun] > sentimental love-making > sentimental or silly fondness > one who
spoony1857
spooner1887
1857 ‘C. Bede’ Mr. Verdant Green Married iv. 32 You don't mean to say you've been doing the spooney—what you call making love?
1878 M. C. Jackson Chaperon's Cares I. v. 57 Pen calls him a spoony, and ridicules him unmercifully.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
spoonyadj.
/ˈspuːni/, U.S. /ˈspuni/ 1. in combination.1819 J. H. Vaux New Vocab. Flash Lang. in Memoirs II. (at cited word) A man who has been drinking till he becomes disgusting..is said to be spoony drunk.1841 C. J. Lever Charles O'Malley lxxxviii ‘Very singular style of person’—lisped a spooney-looking cornet.
a. Of persons, etc.: Foolish, soft, silly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > [adjective]
dizzyc825
unwisec825
redelessOE
unwittyc1000
daftlikec1175
witlessc1175
canga1225
adoted?c1225
cangun?c1225
egedec1225
cangeda1250
foola1250
snepea1250
aerwittec1275
sotlyc1275
unslyc1275
unwitterc1275
unwilya1300
nicec1300
goosishc1374
unskilfulc1374
follyc1380
lewdc1380
mis-feelinga1382
dottlec1390
foltedc1390
peevishc1400
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fonnishc1425
foliousa1450
foolisha1450
daft?c1450
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dotyc1450
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insapientc1470
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wanwittya1500
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dawish?1529
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follial1596
featlessc1598
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gowkeda1605
inept1604
simple1604
anserine1607
foppish1608
silly ass1608
unsage1608
wisdomless1608
fool-beggeda1616
Gotham1621
noddy1645
badot1653
dosser-headed1655
infrunite1657
nonsensicalc1661
slight1663
sappy1670
datelessa1686
noddy-peaked1694
nizy1709
dottled1772
gypit1804
shay-brained1806
folly-stricken1807
fool-like1811
goosy1811
spoony1813
niddle-noddle1821
gumptionless1823
daftish1825
anserous1826
as crazy as a loon1830
spoonish1833
cheese-headed1836
dotty1860
fool-fool1868
noodly1870
dilly1873
gormless1883
daffy1884
monkey-doodle1886
mosy1887
jay1891
pithecanthropic1897
peanut-headed1906
dinlo1907
boob1911
goofy1921
ding-a-ling1935
jerky1944
jerk1947
jerkish1948
pointy-headed1950
doofus1967
twitty1967
twittish1969
nerkish1975
numpty1992
1813 P. Hawker Diary (1893) I. 68 We had some prime slang on the road and, of course, blew up every spoony fellow we could meet.
1819 J. H. Vaux New Vocab. Flash Lang. in Memoirs II. 210 Spoony, foolish, half~witted, nonsensical.
1835 G. P. R. James Gipsy xiv I was spooney enough to let him get off.
1876 Mod. Christianity 60 Then you think that Priests are bound to be mild and spoony?
b. Of things: Characterized by foolishness or silliness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > foolishness, folly > [adjective] > of things, actions, etc.
unwittyc1200
nicea1393
foolisha1413
kimeta1450
peevish1519
silly1566
senseless1579
untoward1658
bright1830
spoony1834
fool-fool1868
noodly1870
twitty1967
twittish1969
1834 C. Mathews Let. 13 Mar. in A. Mathews Mem. C. Mathews (1839) IV. xiii. 280 It [sc. misreporting a speech] has such a spoony appearance, breaking out in a fresh place with such a phrase.
1843 E. FitzGerald Lett. (1889) I. 115 I am really at last going to settle in some spooney quarters in the country.
1846 W. M. Thackeray Crit. Rev. in Wks. (1886) XXIII. 236 That picture is more decidedly spoony than, perhaps, any other of this present season.
1849 W. M. Thackeray Pendennis (1850) I. xiii. 115 They [sc. letters] are too spooney and wild.
2.
a. Sentimentally or foolishly amorous.
ΚΠ
1836 F. Marryat Mr. Midshipman Easy II. vi. 149 I never was in love myself, but I've seen many others spooney.
1859 C. J. Lever Davenport Dunn lxvi The man who is not actually in love with you, but only ‘spooney’.
1882 B. M. Croker Proper Pride I. iii. 52 They are not a bit a spooney couple; at least I never see any billing or cooing.
b. Const. on or upon.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > amorous love > [adjective] > sentimentally amorous
spoony1828
spoony1882
goopy1926
googly1929
1828 Sporting Mag. 22 23 I must confess, I felt rather spoony upon that vixen.
1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. I. vi. 104 Blake got spooney on a gipsy girl.
1891 N. Gould Double Event 60 Marston's awfully spoony on Kingdon's lass.
c. Expressive of sentimental fondness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > amorous love > [adjective] > sentimentally amorous
spoony1828
spoony1882
goopy1926
googly1929
1882 B. M. Croker Proper Pride I. v. 85 Not a spooney, love-lorn effusion, but a good, rational, amusing letter.
1884 Cent. Mag. Dec. 191/2 The little sighs I sigh, and all the spooney ways and looks I can't help treating them to.
Derivatives
ˈspoonyship n. Apparently an isolated use.
ΚΠ
1838 New Monthly Mag. 53 453 To be thrown over..is such evidence of spooneyship as a man of sense or spirit can never willingly submit to.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1795adj.1813