clumsy

clumsy
\ \ [16] When clumsy first appeared on the scene around 1600, both it and the presumably related but now obsolete clumse were used not only for ‘awkward’ but also for ‘numb with cold’. This, and the fact that the word’s nearest apparent relatives are Scandinavian (such as Swedish dialect klumsignumb, clumsy’), suggests that the notion originally contained in them was of being torpid from cold – so cold that one is sluggish and cannot coordinate one’s actions.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Clumsy — ist ein Popsong mit Hip Hop Elementen der US amerikanischen Sängerin und Rapperin Fergie. Clumsy wurde für Fergies Solo Debütalbum The Dutchess aufgenommen. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Daten 2 Musikvideo 3 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Clumsy — «Clumsy» Sencillo de Fergie del álbum The Dutchess Formato CD Single Descarga Digital Airplay Grabación 2006 Género(s) Pop, R B …   Wikipedia Español

  • Clumsy — «Clumsy» Сингл Ферги из альбома The Dutchess Выпущен 25 сентября 2007 Формат CD Записан 2006 Жанр …   Википедия

  • Clumsy — Clum sy, a. [Compar. {Clumsier}; superl. {Clumsiest}.] [OE. clumsed benumbed, fr. clumsen to be benumbed; cf. Icel. klumsa lockjaw, dial. Sw. klummsen benumbed with cold. Cf. 1st {Clam}, and 1st {Clamp}.] 1. Stiff or benumbed, as with cold.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clumsy — (or clumsiness) may refer to: Behaviour Accident proneness, the likelihood that certain people suffer accidents Dyspraxia, a disorder which brings about clumsiness A euphemism for someone with Motor skills disorder Music Clumsy (Our Lady Peace… …   Wikipedia

  • clumsy — [klum′zē] adj. clumsier, clumsiest [ME clumsid, numb with cold, pp. of clumsen, to benumb < ON base akin to Swed dial klummsen, to benumb with the cold; akin to CLAM: for IE base see CLIMB] 1. lacking grace or skill in movement; awkward 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • clumsy — index incompetent, inept (incompetent), ponderous, uncouth, unpolitic Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • clumsy — (adj.) 1590s, from M.E. clumsid numb with cold (14c.), pp. of clumsen to benumb, from O.N. klumsa, intensive of kluma to make motionless. Related: Clumsily; clumsiness …   Etymology dictionary

  • clumsy — *awkward, gauche, maladroit, inept Analogous words: *rude, rough, green, callow, uncouth: loutish, clownish, boorish (see under BOOR): *stiff, wooden, tense, rigid Antonyms: dexterous, adroit: facile Contrasted words: deft (see DEXTEROUS):… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • clumsy — [adj] not agile; awkward all thumbs*, blundering, blunderous, bulky, bumbling, bungling, butterfingered*, clownish, crude, elephantine, gauche, gawkish, gawky, graceless, ham handed*, heavy, heavy handed, helpless, hulking, ill shaped,… …   New thesaurus

  • clumsy — ► ADJECTIVE (clumsier, clumsiest) 1) awkward in movement or performance. 2) difficult to use; unwieldy. 3) tactless. DERIVATIVES clumsily adverb clumsiness noun. ORIGI …   English terms dictionary

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