mollycoddle

English

WOTD – 5 February 2009

Etymology

molly +‎ coddle

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmɒl.ɪˌkɒd.əl/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑl.iˌkɑd.əl/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -ɒdəl

Noun

mollycoddle (plural mollycoddles)

(now rare) A person, especially a man or a boy, who is pampered and overprotected.
- 2004: Chris Wallace, Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage
  No matter what pacifist "flubdubs and flapdoodle mollycoddles" might say, the President [Teddy Roosevelt] knew that if there were a general war then America could well be drawn into it.

Translations

person who is pampered and overprotected

Czech: mazánek m
Dutch: wekeling, moederskindje (nl)
Greek: παραχαϊδεμένος (el) m (parachaïdeménos)

Irish: peata mamaí m
Italian: cocco (it) m, beniamino (it) m, coccolo (it) m, prediletto (it) m, preferito (it) m

Verb

mollycoddle (third-person singular simple present mollycoddles, present participle mollycoddling, simple past and past participle mollycoddled)

(transitive) To be overprotective and indulgent toward; to pamper.
- 1904, Sabine Baring-Gould, The White Flag
  Heerendorp by this means obtained an evil notoriety, and it was ordered to be burnt, and the women of Jacob's family to be transferred to a concentration camp where they would be mollycoddled at the expense of the English taxpayer.
- 2012, The Economist, Oct 13th 2012, Policy prescriptions: A True Progressivism
  Rich countries also need more competition in traditionally mollycoddled sectors such as education.

Translations

to be overprotective and indulgent toward

Czech: rozmazlovat
Dutch: vertroetelen (nl)
French: couver (fr)
Greek: παραχαϊδεύω (el) (parachaïdévo), κανακεύω (el) (kanakévo)

Maori: morimori
Polish: rozpieścić (pl), rozpieszczać
Russian: балова́ть (ru) n or impf (balovátʹ)