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milquetoast

adj
/ˈmɪlktəʊst/UK/ˈmɪlkˌtoʊst/US

Etymology

Named after Caspar Milquetoast, a character from the comic strip The Timid Soul, created by American cartoonist Harold Tucker Webster (1885–1952) and first published in 1924; the character was named after the American dish milk toast (“a food consisting of toasted bread in warm milk”).

Definitions

  1. Meek, timid

    Meek, timid; lacking character or effectiveness.

    • The truth is that we are cursed with a "milquetoast" Government operating under "milquetoast" policies. Fear has become a national policy.
    • If Bach had any guts, he wouldn't take that. He's too much of a Milquetoast guy.
    • I should have listened to my mother when she told me to stay out of journalism because of idiot milquetoast jerk reporters like you!

  2. A person of meek or timid disposition

    A person of meek or timid disposition; a person who lacks character or effectiveness.

  3. Alternative letter-case form of milquetoast.

    • If Bach had any guts, he wouldn't take that. He's too much of a Milquetoast guy.
    • Like that well-meaning mom, parents employ Milquetoast speech whenever they whine, complain, plead, entreat, entice, bribe, and explain themselves persuasively.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for milquetoast. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA