jackanapes

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The Word of the Day for May 18 is: 

jackanapes   \JAK-uh-nayps\   noun
     1 : monkey, ape
     2 a : an impudent or conceited fellow *b : a saucy or mischievous child 

Example sentence: 
     Mr. Hughes had his neighbor's son pegged as a disrespectful jackanapes and 
was therefore reluctant to hire him to shovel the driveway.  

Did you know?
     William de la Pole, the Duke of Suffolk, was a well-regarded soldier and 
commander during the Hundred Years' War. It was during his dukedom (1448-1450), 
however, that England lost its possessions in northern France, and his 
popularity consequently suffered. The coat of arms for de la Pole's family 
sported an image of a collar and chain that, at the time, was commonly used for 
leashing pet monkeys, then known as "jackanapes" (a word whose precise origin 
is uncertain). By association, people gave the Duke the nickname "Jack Napis," 
and soon "jackanapes" took on a life of its own as a word for an impudent 
person and, later, a misbehaving child. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. 





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