poindexter, n. U.S. slang.
Brit. /ˈpɔɪnˌdɛkstə/, U.S. /ˈpɔɪnˌdɛkstər/
Forms: also with capital initial.
[‹ the name of Poindexter, an animated character noted for his genius-level intelligence and his use of complicated scientific jargon, created in 1959 as part of the supporting cast of the Felix the Cat television series, and apparently named after Emmett Poindexter, the attorney for the creator of the series.]
An overly diligent student, an extremely intelligent person; (also) a person lacking in social skills.
| 1981 UNC-CH Slang (typescript) (Univ. North Carolina, Chapel Hill) Mar. 5 Poindexter, person, usually a male, who studies all the time. 1982 Time 27 Sept. The words and phrases themselves are as ephemeral as a Val Gal's passions—as if they had a Poindexter (brainy nerd) stashed somewhere cranking out hot new ones. 1997 M. Groening et al. Simpsons: Compl. Guide 37/4 Hey, poindexter, it's Halloween! Put the book away! 2002 Esquire (Electronic ed.) Dec. There are robot teams here from Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts—girls and boys, poindexters and goths, stoners and jocks. |
Derivatives. poindexterish adj.
| 1992 Boston Phoenix 24 July ii. 3/3 The MIT Boxing Club has been beating up on the school's *Poindexter-ish image. 1994 Washington Post (Nexis) 22 July (Weekend section) 41 McCurley walks away with the whole movie, playing the cunning wunderkind as a Poindexterish, pint-sized Charles Foster Kane. |