Dictionary

whomperjawed en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /wɒm.pə(ɹ).d͡ʒɔːd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /wɑm.pɚ.d͡ʒɔd/ (US)
• [wɑ̃m.pɚ.d͡ʒɑɒ̯d] (Southern-US)

Etymology

Ealiest known use is from 1942 (see quotations), and it was first mentioned in 1931. Possibly from an alteration of earlier whopperjawed, wopperjawed, wapper-jawed, ultimately related to wapper jaw (“a projecting underjaw”) (1825).

Meanings

1. (Southern-US, Texas, dialectal, especially) Askew, amiss; not fitting, moving or working properly.
   • Honestly, I felt pretty wolfish that time. I didn’t have a thing to defend myself with but my fist. But I was much of a man, and he was a little gangling, bandy-legged, whomper-jawed, worthless specimen of humanity. 1942, Salomon Alexander Wright, My Rambles as East Texas Cowboy, Hunter, Fisherman, Tie-Cutter, Austin, Texas: Texas Folklore Society, page 92:
   • The pending bill as it stands presents another whomper-jawed, lopsided, cross-eyed picture. 1942 September 30, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library, Legislative History, Public Law 729 - 77th Congress, Chapter 578 - 2d Session, H.R. 7565, page 7893, column 3:

Forms