milquetoast etymology

Etymology:

  • Coined around 1905-1910 from the name of "Casper Milquetoast," a comic strip character created by H.T. Webster.
  • Named after "toast made with milk," implying "bland" or "unremarkable."

Meaning:

  • Timid, shy, and lacking assertiveness or personality.

Origin:

  • The character Casper Milquetoast was introduced in the comic strip "The Timid Soul" in 1924.
  • He was portrayed as a thin, balding man with a weak chin and timid demeanor.
  • The character's name originated from a letter to Webster, a reader named Cassel McGurk who suggested the name "milquetoast" as a synonym for "namby-pamby."
  • "Milquetoast" quickly gained popularity as a slang term to describe unassertive or timid individuals, becoming an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1933.

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