Sockdolager
[sahk-DOL-e-jər]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: American English, mid-19th century
1.
An exceptional person or thing.
2.
A forceful blow.
Examples of Sockdolager in a sentence
"All of the nominees tonight are well-accomplished sockdolagers."
"The baseball hit Randy with a sockdolager that knocked the wind out of him."
About Sockdolager
It's believed that "sockdolager" developed as a fanciful formation from "sock." How the word became associated with an exceptional person or a forceful blow is unknown.
Did you Know?
To find a sockdolager, you need not look much further than the Nobel Prizes. People who qualify for nomination are exceptional in their actions and impact, and have found a way to contribute to humanity’s progress in a particular field. Some notable recipients include activist Malala Yousafzai, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna, chemists who invented genome editing tools.
