Merriam-Webster defines “milquetoast” as “a timid, meek, or unassertive person,” the implication being that a “milquetoast” person is afraid to stand up, worried about backlash. By literary extension, things can be “milquetoast” as well. Yes, it’s mostly used as an insult. It’s also related to a breakfast dish.
What does milk toast mean in slang?
a very timid, unassertive, spineless person, especially one who is easily dominated or intimidated: a milquetoast who’s afraid to ask for a raise.
What is a milk toast personality?
Caspar Milquetoast was a popular American cartoon character created by H. T. Webster. The term “milquetoast” has since come to be used for a meek or timid person.
Where did the phrase milk toast come from?
Milk toast’s soft blandness served as inspiration for the name of the timid and ineffectual comic strip character Caspar Milquetoast, drawn by H. T. Webster from 1924 to 1952. Thus, the term “milquetoast” entered the language as the label for a timid, shrinking, apologetic person.
How do you use milquetoast in a sentence?
- As the milquetoast quietly shuffled down the street with his shoulders hunched, his eyes would dart around hoping no one would see him.
- Being a new student at school, the milquetoast worried about the first day of school trying not to draw attention to himself.
Is it milk toast or milquetoast?
Milktoast is an eggcorn of milquetoast. An eggcorn is a misheard or misspelled version of a word. Interestingly, the name of the character Caspar Milquetoast is inspired by the American dish milk toast, an extremely simple dish of sliced buttered toast with milk poured over it that is intended for people who are ill.
What is a Mr milquetoast?
And the usual sense is that of a person who is timid or meek, unassertive. Such people may appear apathetic or unmotivated, but that’s not the reason for their being quiet. It’s an eponym, named after a fictional cartoon character named Caspar Milquetoast, invented by the American illustrator Harold T Webster in 1924.
Does milquetoast mean bland?
adjective. Feeble, insipid, or bland. ‘When it is suggested such a show must be “nice” for the family, she indicates the word is too milquetoast to express the family’s sentiment.
What does it mean to call someone a pantywaist?
pantywaist. / (ˈpæntɪˌweɪst) / noun. a child’s undergarment consisting of a shirt and pants buttoned together at the waist. US informal a man or boy considered as childish, lacking in courage, etc.
What does it mean when something is vanilla?
Vanilla is often used figuratively and according to Collins Dictionary: If you describe a person or thing as vanilla, you mean that they are ordinary, with no special or extra features.
Is milquetoast a adjective?
A milquetoast is a timid, unassertive person, submissive, readily dominated or intimidated. The adjective milquetoast indicates the characteristics of such a person.
What is a factotum person?
factotum • fak-TOH-tuhm • noun. 1 : a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities 2 : a general servant.
What kind of cat is milquetoast?
factotum • fak-TOH-tuhm • noun. 1 : a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities 2 : a general servant.