gravitationally challenged en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
An ironic imitation of the perceived oversensitivity of language like mentally challenged.
Meanings
-
(euphemistic, humorous, of a person) Fat.
[T]he chunky Mr. Ackerman took to the stage. First he told fat jokes. . . . "I'm not fat. I'm gravitationally challenged."
1996 March 3, Diane Ketcham, “Long Island Journal”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 Aug 2010:In America fat is the new f-word—instead, it's nutritionally endowed, or person of mass, or gravitationally challenged.
2002 July 6, Tania Kindersley, “A job for nanny”, in spectator.co.uk, retrieved 29 Aug 2010:
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(euphemistic, humorous, often) Of a person, having a poor sense of balance; subject to intervals of dizziness.
Consider that the person asking is Mr. Bean, the diminutive, awkward, gravitationally challenged, accident-prone incarnation served up by Rowan Atkinson.
2003 July 18, Leonard Klady, “MCM Review: Johnny English”, in Movie City News, retrieved 29 Aug 2010:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most gravitationally challenged | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| gravitationally-challenged | alternative | lexicographic | |
| more gravitationally challenged | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Relateds
ethically challenged · living impaired · vertically challenged
Synonyms
horizontally challenged (fat)