In need of a good insult!

abrenner · Jan 22, 2010

I've come to a point where I need a good, insult-type word to tack on the end of a sentence.

Essentially, Character A (a bit of a sleaze) has just embarrassed himself in front of a whole room of people, and Character B (Our Hero) lets out a laugh. Character A gets riled up, shoots a look at Character B, and says "You think this is funny, _____?"

As you can guess, I'm having a little trouble filling in that blank space. Are there any MG-appropriate, non-corny, non-physically-specific (no "pipsqueak" or "lardball") jabs I could tuck in there?

I'm currently going with "punk" because, well, my own middle school years were full of being called that. But would MG readers not see it as a general insult, and instead start to picture Character B as some motorcycle-riding, nose-piercing rebel? He's a bit peculiar, but not quite as outrageous as that.

alleycat · Jan 22, 2010

From the way it's said, dude can sometime be used as a mild insult.

I might use butthead, but that's probably not what you're looking for.

There's also: nerd, geek, buddy boy (said with a snarl), prick (might be mild enough).

cscarlet · Jan 22, 2010

jerk?

Cyia · Jan 22, 2010

loser

alleycat · Jan 22, 2010

Cyia said:
loser

That seems like a good choice to me if it fits your MC, plus it's not such a "trendy" insult. People will understand "loser" now, and will understand it twenty years from now.

thothguard51 · Jan 22, 2010

I have always liked peckerhead...

abrenner · Jan 22, 2010

Yow, thanks, all! I think I like Cyia's suggestion . . . "loser" does fit Character B! (Or, at least, Character A's opinion of Character B.)

Silver King · Jan 22, 2010

I asked my son for terms he felt are insulting in that age group, and he listed many of the more obvious slights. Then he came up with, dick-noid.

I said, "What does that mean?"

He claims he doesn't know, but that it sounds insulting. And I would tend to agree.

writernow · Jan 23, 2010

I heard one teenager call another "pigfart" the other day

Wayne K · Jan 23, 2010

Butt head is a classic

Fran · Jan 23, 2010

Oooh, Scotland has many.

You dumpling. You galoot. You eejit (which has been kindly lent to us by the Irish). You clown. I hear 'Ya fool!' quite a lot too - I know it sounds a bit old-fashioned but being spoken in a Glasgow accent gives it a good touch of comedy, if comedy's what you're aiming for. But since you may not be writing for us lot (

) I don't know how much use this is to you.

MsJudy · Jan 23, 2010

If you want generic, Loser is the best. Having heard my sons use it many a time...

Otherwise, I'd go with something as specific to the characters as you can get. Both my boys tend to be on the short side, so when the older one calls the younger one "midget" it really stings. Plus the younger one has a big vocabulary, so calling him geek or nerd is just too...accurate... The younger one mostly retaliates with "asshole" or "jerk" or "jackass," but only one of those is g-rated enough for you to use...

SHRous · Jan 23, 2010

According to my middle school aged boys, these are the insults:

idiot, punk, loser, retard, or any language translation for the word faggot. (This shocked me, but it seems they are able to go to babelfish.com at school and this is one of the words they look up!)

Wayne K · Jan 23, 2010

Faggot isn't an insult, it's a hate crime. You might want to tell them that.

kuwisdelu · Jan 23, 2010

Mac H. · Jan 24, 2010

Wayne K said:
Faggot isn't an insult, it's a hate crime. You might want to tell them that.

A hate crime ?

Yes, it seems despicable, but why is it more of a hate crime that calling someone 'shorty' or 'baldy' or 'south-paw'? They are all determined by genes (or protein folding or whatever the heck causes it) - none of which can be controlled by the person.

They all imply some kind of 'wrongness' about being short, bald, gay or left-handed.

Surely they are all equally despicable.

Mac

timp67 · Jan 24, 2010

I don't think "shorty" or "south paw" are ever said to someone in the same spirit as "faggot." I can't imagine any left-handed person fearing for his life in school, as many gay kids do. The suicide rates for short people I suspect are in line with the general population, whereas gay teen suicides are through the roof.

timp67 · Jan 24, 2010

And to get back on topic I vote for "punk"!

gtcarey · Jan 28, 2010

Feiss · Jan 28, 2010

sly, bucko, diggereedoo

PVish · Jan 30, 2010

I vote for loser because it can encompass so much. It doesn't insult a potential reader's height, weight, gender, sexual preference, or mental capacity. Being a loser is determined more by one's choices than by one's genes. Plus, someone can overcome being a loser by later becoming a winner. Loser probably won't go out of use as soon as dork (another word that might work) or a similar term.

Hittman · Jan 30, 2010

I'm rather fond of "Sparky." It's simple, dismissive and condescending without hitting any of the politically correct soft spots.

Nice try, Sparky.

Yeah, I'm sure you'd do it that way, Sparky.

Nice outfit, Sparky.

Great State of The Union Address, Sparky.

Nya RAyne · Jan 30, 2010

'Fairy' should work. It's hit's below the belt.

abctriplets · Jan 31, 2010

Yes, but fairy also has other connotations...

stormie · Feb 1, 2010

I vote for "loser." Esp. when it's pronounced "loooser." (Accent on the first two letters, then the word is drawn out.)

"Butthead" in my area is mostly used by the preschool (yep, preschool) and primary grade kids. "Loser" is middle grade on up.

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