mocker1
/ˈmɒkə
/- Institutions and politicians were mocked; as it turned out, many of the mockers secretly admired their targets, and the targets enjoyed the mockery.
- And he allows himself to be mocked without taking revenge on the mocker.
- The cynics and the mockers and the doubters can say what they like, but that's what these protests are about.
Phrases
put the mockers on
Rhymes
mocker2
/ˈmɒkə/- Whenever you saw him, he was all mockered up, as neat as a beetle in its shell.
- During the weekend, she is "all mockered up".
- He was mockered up to the nines, his feet moving impatiently in the dust.
- He gets into his old mocker and gets stuck in.
- You should just wear ordinary mokker.
- He was climbing out of bed and donning clammy, greasy shearing mocker.
Origin
Early 20th century: of unknown origin. Perhaps from Arabic makwa, a noun of place, from kawā, 'to press (clothes)', associated with Egyptian clothes-pressing establishments during the First World War, and from there used by New Zealand soldiers.
The phrase to put the mockers on, ‘to put an end to, thwart’, is originally Australian. It dates from the early 20th century and may come from Yiddish make ‘sore, plague’, or be the same word as mocker (Late Middle English) meaning ‘someone who mocks’. Another Antipodean mocker, meaning ‘clothes, dress’, was brought back from Egypt by New Zealand troops after the First World War. It is based on Egyptian Arabic makwagi ‘presser of clothes’-in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries there are clothes-pressing establishments with changing rooms where people can shed the outfits they are wearing and have them pressed. Mock (Late Middle English) meaning ‘to make fun of’ is a quite different word, from Old French mocquer ‘to ridicule’.