Word for the day gnarly

[Josiah]

gnarly



[nahr-lee]
Spell Syllables

• Examples
• Word Origin

adjective, gnarlier, gnarliest.

1.gnarled.

2.Slang. distasteful; distressing; offensive; gross:a comic noted for his gnarly humor.

I encountered the slang meaning used by Chris Hayes who does the hour slot on MSNBC just before Rachel Maddow.

 

[Ameriscot]

I think where I've heard it was a young guy saying 'gnarly, dude' in a negative way.

 

[Vivjen]

I have heard it used about trees! Old and gnarled, with lots of bumps, knots etc.

 

[Ameriscot]

Yes, I've heard that one as well.

 

[Josiah]

Yes, that's the primary meaning and in that sense I could use the word to describe several (most) parts of my body. It seems to me that Dickens might have used the word a lot, but then Dickens probably used every word in the English language a lot.

 

[Meanderer]

Yes, that's the primary meaning and in that sense I could use the word to describe several (most) parts of my body. It seems to me that Dickens might have used the word a lot, but then Dickens probably used every word in the English language a lot.

WHAT THE DICKENS!
This old saying does not come from the writer Charles Dickens (1812-1870). It is much older than him! It has been around since at least the 16th century. Originally 'Dickens' was another name for the Devil.

 

[SifuPhil]

The oldest usage credited that I can find is 1773, but no sources are given.

I thought the word was late-20th century slang, aside from the arboreal usage.

 

[Meanderer]

In this song they pronounce it Nora Lee.

 

[oakapple]

That all looks a bit 'Deliverance' to me Meanderer!