Keener

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rekirts

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Has anyone heard of the word "keener" used as a colloquial way to describe someone who is very enthusiastic--like the kid in school who always puts his hand up first.

Toby answered all the questions. He's such a keener.

I didn't make this up, did I? I can't find it in the dictionary.
 

arrowqueen

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I've never heard of it as a noun. Sorry.
 

Silver King

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I haven't heard it used that way either. When I was in school, I disliked most of those types, so I immediately thought of "wiener" instead of "keener."
 

Jamesaritchie

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rekirts said:
Has anyone heard of the word "keener" used as a colloquial way to describe someone who is very enthusiastic--like the kid in school who always puts his hand up first.

Toby answered all the questions. He's such a keener.

I didn't make this up, did I? I can't find it in the dictionary.

I've never heard "keener" used this way, but "keener" is, of course, a real word, and one that's pretty common. It's in every dictionary I have.

Using it in this manner must be regional slang.
 

Maryn

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I've not heard it in the US. Consider, though, that the word keen has fallen out of favor and isn't often used to indicate enthusiasm. I literally can't recall having heard that someone was keen on something, not from an American speaker.

Maybe where you are, it is common, and in that case, I'd buy keener in your example, as akin to suck-up or brown-noser.

Maryn, remembering that 'keener' girl (Judy?) in Leave it to Beaver
 

rekirts

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Just to make sure I wasn't losing my mind, I asked hubby about it and he says he's heard it used that way for years, so it must be a regional thing.

A keener could be a brown-noser, but also just someone who studies a lot.
 

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Sorry, but I have never heard the word keener used to mean either brown-noser or over-achiever. However, I do remember using the word keen to mean neat-o.

Maybe keener is regional and just never made it to my region.

Ferret, who thinks that's just keen.
 

allion

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I've heard of keener with the same sort of meaning as brown-noser.

Dictionary.com and wikipedia.org both do not have a listing for this particular meaning of the word.

Interesting how words take on meanings in different places.

Karen
 

Sandi LeFaucheur

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Keener: yes I've heard of it in the sense you mention. Problem is, I can't remember where, if it's here in Southern Ontario or back in England. As I tend to speak a mid-atlantic patois, people on both sides of the pond look at me and scratch their heads in bewilderment! (This does, however, come in handy when I come out with totally the wrong word. "Oh, don't you say that here? It's what we call it in Canada/England")
 

rekirts

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Then it must be a Canadianism because I'm in Saskatchewan--although I could imagine Brits and Aussies saying it. I wonder if they do.
 

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As a slang noun, it's a new one on me.
 

Soccer Mom

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New one to me. Count me as Southern US. We use the term "gunner" to mean the same thing.
 

Jo

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Heh, Soccer Mom, a gunner (or gunna) down here is someone who is gunna do this or gunna (going to) do that--but they never do. Someone who is full of empty promises.
 

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Yes, very common slang amongst undergraduates. I first heard it in Illinois. I actually used it myself this morning.
 

Soccer Mom

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We played Gunner Bingo in college. :)
Squares were things like answering rhetorical questions, being the first one to ask the prof a question, and using buzz phrases.
 

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*Keener* in the sense that you mentioned is not a part of standard U.S. English, despite any regional use that it might have. I have never heard it used that way.
 

rekirts

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It's new to me, too (Aussie). I would tend to think a keener had something to do with wailing/grieving.
And so it does, according to the dictionary.

Regional slang is fascinating stuff.
 
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