• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “Slowpoke” come from and What does Slowpoke mean?

Where does the word “Slowpoke” come from and What does Slowpoke mean?

July 17, 2020 by Karen Hill

Of the many different meanings for the word poke, one, an Americanism dating to about 1860, is “a lazy person, a dawdler.”

The origin of this meaning is easily traced to the British use of the verb to poke, “to potter.” But there is no indication of the reason for Jane Austen’s use of the verb with this sense, for it was she, in Sense and Sensibility, who is the earliest on record with this meaning.

But it must have been an American who first became discouraged with the extreme laziness of some poke of his acquaintance, and who coined the term to describe one who was the epitome of dawdlers, a slowpoke.

Related Facts

  • What does the word "gauntlet" mean and Where does the word gauntlet come from?
  • What does the word incubus (succubus) mean and Where does the word "incubus" come from?
  • Where does the word "Toilet" come from and What does the word Toilet mean in French?
  • What Does the Word Scapegoat Mean and Where Did the Word Scapegoat Come From?
  • What Does the Word "Clock" Mean in French and Where Did the Word For a Large Timepiece Come From?
  • Where Did the Word "Limbo" Come From and What Does the Word Mean?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How did the Cockroach Get its Name and Where does the Word Cockroach Come From?
Next Post: Where does the word “Stalemate” come from and What does Stalemate mean in French? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy