NUDNIK

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 4 August 2011

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NUDNIK  (n. pl. - S)

Definition(s):

1. (n.) an annoying person; a nuisance or pest

Useful information for game players:

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: -S
• Anagrams: UNKIND
• Longer extensions: (none)
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: NUDNICK
• Related Forms: (none)

Epilogue:
English adopted this mildly UNKIND word from Yiddish, which took it from the Russian nudnyi (“tiresome, boring”) and the suffix -nik (“a person connected with something”).  Among the other -nik words are BEATNIK, NEATNIK, SPUTNIK, PEACENIK, REFUSNIK (“a Soviet citizen who is refused permission to emigrate”), and the humorous COMPUTERNIK (“a computer enthusiast or expert”).

This week’s theme: Words starting with the letter N

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