Question
Updated on
Deleted user
9 Aug 2022
Question about English (US)
I read some book where a mom said:
"You met my knucklehead son" and then another woman thought by herself: "You call your son a "knucklehead" "
and that made me think that this another woman thought that this mom insulted her son so that's why I'm asking which one is right: is this "knucklehead" insulting (like this another woman thinks) or is it a nice thing sometimes? According to English dictionary it means " a stupid person" and is an insult but I still think that does it still have a douple meaning, and one which is more positive? Because I highly doubt that this mom wants to insult her child, especially out of nowhere.
I read some book where a mom said:
"You met my knucklehead son" and then another woman thought by herself: "You call your son a "knucklehead" "
and that made me think that this another woman thought that this mom insulted her son so that's why I'm asking which one is right: is this "knucklehead" insulting (like this another woman thinks) or is it a nice thing sometimes? According to English dictionary it means " a stupid person" and is an insult but I still think that does it still have a douple meaning, and one which is more positive? Because I highly doubt that this mom wants to insult her child, especially out of nowhere.
"You met my knucklehead son" and then another woman thought by herself: "You call your son a "knucklehead" "
and that made me think that this another woman thought that this mom insulted her son so that's why I'm asking which one is right: is this "knucklehead" insulting (like this another woman thinks) or is it a nice thing sometimes? According to English dictionary it means " a stupid person" and is an insult but I still think that does it still have a douple meaning, and one which is more positive? Because I highly doubt that this mom wants to insult her child, especially out of nowhere.
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- English (US)
Knucklehead does mean "a stupid person", but it can be used with friends and family as a joke so it's not taken seriously.
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- Bulgarian
- English (US)
@Babbabbaaa Knucklehead is often a more lighthearted and often joking way of calling someone stupid. You might also hear words like airhead, numbskull, dummy, dope or oaf and they’re all generally used in the same vein.
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Deleted user
@dawangus Thank you, is same with "bonehead" ? That was said in one movie ("I hope you learned your lesson, bonehead") and in this same movie there was "knucklehead" : ("What were you thinking, knucklehead?") (Big hero 6) maybe those were "positive things" after all and not insults
- Bulgarian
- English (US)
@Babbabbaaa Yes I’d say it means roughly the same thing. It also somewhat depends on context and who’s saying it to who but most of the time it’s not meant to be taken too seriously. Ex. “We have some knuckleheads in our parliament” would probably be a bit more serious than calling your friend a knucklehead. In that case it’s like a tone downed version of saying “morons” or “jackasses”.
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Deleted user
@dawangus Than you. Do you think that in this movie this "knucklehead" wasn't mean and insulting/offensive: ("What were you thinking, knucklehead?")
and how about that book I talked about, was that "knucklehead" insulting or why this another woman thought that "You are insulting your child" ?
Deleted user
- Bulgarian
- English (US)
@Babbabbaaa Whoops. I didn’t get the notification for whatever reason.
How I see it, the line from Big Hero 6 is definitely not meant to be insulting. A better way to look at is like teasing. I think it was the older brother who says it to the main character and he’s really just showing concern by saying it/teasing his brother for doing something unwise - nothing meant to be offensive or mean spirited.
As for the book you’re taking about, I can’t say for sure but I think the mom calling her son a knucklehead is in the same vein as in big hero 6. The woman might just not be familiar with the term. Overall, it has a lot to do with context and your tone of voice but generally “knucklehead” is a harmless way of poking fun at someone close to you.
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Deleted user
@dawangus Okay, thank you. Can I ask this yet that have you seen this movie (Big hero 6) so you know that this "knucklehead" was just teasing? And also is this "I hope you learned your lesson, bonehead" teasing also?
Actually, I could put the clips of them.
Thank you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcDAqBKa6qY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtmA7f7bCBU
And P.S. If it's not too much for asked, do you think that actually adding "knucklehead" and "bonehead" made those sentences SOFTER/NICER (according to some Americans who have seen this movie they made)? I'm just "double checking" and I would like to ask this to you also. Thank you!
- Bulgarian
- English (US)
@Babbabbaaa In the clips, it seems he calls him knucklehead and bonehead as a way to express his concern for his brother doing dangerous stuff. He’s not actually trying to insult him, just let him know it’s a bad idea.
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Deleted user
@dawangus Thank you. I promise this is my last question: what did you mean by that "actually" ? Did you mean that it was still somewhat insulting?
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