waggish : M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for November 15 is:

waggish \WAG-ish\ adjective
*1 : resembling or characteristic of a wag
2 : done or made in waggery or for sport : humorous

Example sentence:
Lisa listens to the same waggish DJ every morning, never tiring of his prank phone calls and irreverent impressions of local politicians.

Did you know?
One who is waggish acts like a wag. What, then, is a wag? Etymologists think "wag" probably came from "waghalter," a word that was once used for a "gallows bird" (that is, a person who was going to be, or deserved to be, hanged). "Waghalter" was apparently shortened to "wag" and used jokingly or affectionately for mischievous pranksters or youths. Hence a wag is a joker, and waggery is merriment or practical joking. "Waggish" can describe the prank itself as well as the prankster type; the class clown might be said to be prone to "waggish antics" or even to have a "waggish disposition."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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