Fubsy

[Dr. Goodword]

• fubsy •

Pronunciation: fêb-zee • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Squat and chubby.

Notes: The noun that today's adjective is based on is sometimes fub and sometimes (a) fubs. For that reason we find two adjectives: fubby and fubsy. The latter, however, is heard and seen more than the former. It bears a resemblance, which is probably not wholly coincidental, to pudgy.

In Play: Although it may sound a little harsh to politically correct Americans, this word is generally used affectionately: "I saw Nathan with his fubsy little boy riding around in an appropriately fubsy little British car." In fact, it is used as often in speaking of objects as in speaking of people: "Chester Drors came to the party in a fubsy little bowler hat that would hardly stay on his head."

Word History: The noun from which today's Good Word is derived, fub(s) is a blend (two words mushed together) of fat and chub. Fat comes from an old root pei-t- which also gave Greek its pion "fat" and probably underlies Latin pituita "gum, phlegm". This word went into the making of English pituitary, the name of the master endocrine gland and an adjective meaning "mucous, secreting mucus". The root of this word is related to pinus "pine", whence English pine and French pinot, as in pinot noir, the vine with grapes that hang in a pine-shaped cluster. The source of chub and chubby has everyone stumped.

[misterdoe]

Fubsy sounds kind of like baby talk.

[Perry Lassiter]

A healthy baby is almost always fubsy, a word i never heard before.

[Perry Lassiter]

A healthy baby is almost always fubsy, a word i never heard before.

[misterdoe]

Although it may sound a little harsh to politically correct Americans, this word is generally used affectionately.

A now-retired former supervisor used to talk often about her "fat little grandbaby."

I'm curious, though: citing my ex-boss's use of "grandbaby" made me think of how people use the term "granddaddy" all the time, but I've only heard "grandmommy" used on occasion, and then jokingly.

[Perry Lassiter]

Betcha it has to do with nicknames. Grandmas are. Mammaw (in various spellings), Mee-maw, Nana, and the like. The male half does get Papaw a lot, but from emotional distance perhaps, I think they get called Grandfather or more often than Grandma.

[misterdoe]

Always did think "Grandfather" sounded kind of distant. My cousins on my mother's side all called our grandfather "Granddaddy." I think I probably started out calling him that, then began calling my dad's father that. I don't actually recall that, per se, but I can imagine wanting to call them by distinct names. (I knew my mom's dad from the day I was born, while meeting my other grandfather a few years later...)

At some point I began calling Mom's dad "Poppy," leading some friends of mine to wonder if I had "Spanish" background.