flamer
(ˈfleɪmə(r))
[f. flame v. + -er1.]
1. One who or that which flames.
| 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. ii. 996 And then no more you would the Aire allow For Element, then th' hot bright Flamer now. 1612 Sturtevant Metallica (1854) 110 The Scottish coal is the best flamer. 1887 Pall Mall G. 9 Dec. 5/2 Armed only with an electric battery, or was it only a flamer? with which he signalled to the magic lantern. |
2. slang. A person or thing glaringly conspicuous.
| 1809 Spirit Pub. Jrnls. (1810) XIII. 163 Dick Daredevil..sported a brace of flamers (wenches) on his coach-box. 1840 H. Cockton Val. Vox ii. 5 A criticism on the evening's performance which certainly was..‘a regular flamer.’ |
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▸ U.S. slang (freq. depreciative). A man whose homosexuality is conspicuous or apparent, esp. because of his flamboyant or effeminate mannerisms or clothing. Cf. flaming adj. Additions.
| 1948 H. McCoy Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye 278, I never saw such a crowd of dikes and faggots... The three young boys sitting together on one side of the booth were flamers. 1972 B. Rodgers Queens' Vernacular 73 Stereotype effeminate homosexual... Flamer. 1990 C. T. Westcott Half a Klick 155 Some faggot... Guy was a real flamer. 1999 Vanity Fair Sept. 146/3 Jack, the hilarious flamer on Will and Grace, braced himself to kiss a woman by closing his eyes and visualizing Van Der Beek instead. 2001 Genre May 10, I saw a flamer swish through a local gay restaurant one day. |
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▸ Computing slang. A person who sends inflammatory, abusive, or offensive messages by e-mail or as a posting to a newsgroup. Cf. flame v., flame mail n. at flame n. and adj. Additions.
| 1983 G. L. Steele et al. Hacker's Dict. 65 Flamer, one who flames; a fanatic. 1988 Smithsonian Sept. 86/2 Extremely violent language is called ‘flaming’. One board has a regular conference called Flamers/Get Rid of Your Anger. 1993 Newsweek 6 Sept. 44/1 The users are as diverse as the net itself. ‘Lurkers’ read but never send. ‘Flamers’ are obnoxious correspondents who consistently violate ‘netiquette’. 1997 L. J. Camp & D. M. Riley in G. L. Rosston & D. Waterman Interconnection & Internet xi. 217 Flamers on both sides thought the Women's Center newsgroup should be a place for unfettered debate. Others wanted a haven, a supportive environment in a competitive and aggressive institution. 2000 Time 15 May 53/3 Like anyone who dashes off an angry e-mail, the flamers and the virus writers often don't see the consequences of what they're doing... This disconnect can be costly. |