ELPS

In English Language, headless compounds are words that describe a person by what she does or has rather than what that person is.

Here is a list of common headless compounds and what they mean.

• bird-brain - a stupid person,

• blockhead - a stupid person,

• boot-black - a person who shines and polishes shoes,

• butterfingers - a person who drops things they are carrying or trying to catch,

• cut-throat - a person who is merciless and engages in violent and unethical behaviour,

• dead-eye - a particularly accurate person, a sniper,

• egghead - a person who has a deep interest in studying and developing their knowledge,

• foureyes - a person who wears glasses (offensive),

• goof-off - a person who habitually avoids work or responsibility by wasting time,

• heart-throb - a person who has traits that others find very attractive,

• heavyweight - a person who has a lot of influence in her field,

highbrow - a person who has sophisticated cultural,

• hunchback - a person who has a pronounced curvature of the spine, resulting in a rounded or hunched posture,

• lazy-bones - a person who tries to avoid work,

• loudmouth - who speaks too loudly, too frequently, or without restraint, often interrupting others or dominating conversations,

• low-life - a person considered to have a low moral character or who engages in disreputable or unethical behaviour,

• pip-squeak - a small and unimportant person,

• redneck - a person perceived as unsophisticated, unrefined, or holding conservative or traditional values,

• scarecrow - a person or thing that is intended to deter or intimidate others but is ultimately ineffective or insubstantial,

• fathead - a person who is perceived as foolish, stupid, or annoying,

• flatfoot - a person who is seen as dull, unimaginative, or lacking in excitement or initiative,

• killjoy - a person who dampens or ruins the enjoyment or fun of others,

• know-nothing - a person who is perceived as having little or no knowledge about a particular subject or general topics,

• scofflaw - a person who habitually ignores or disobeys laws or rules, particularly those related to legal or social norms.

Examples

Killjoys like Sarah always point out what could go wrong and bring everyone down.

Tom a scofflaw because he frequently ignores traffic laws and gets into trouble with the authorities.

Jim, the scarecrow of the office, seems to have a knack for making everyone uneasy with his constant frowning and criticism.