Hobbledehoy is an old-fashioned word or term that describes a young man or boy who is awkward. Today, I think of this as a good and unusual term for a nerd. However, it can be used to describe someone who is transitioning from a boy to a teenager, or from a teenager to a man; it is not limited to this definition.
Being socially awkward or immature can happen at any age, and this is what I think about when I hear the word.
“The hobbledehoy tripped and stumbled into the room, knocking over a chair in his clumsy rush to avoid notice.”
“Alice smiled fondly at the hobbledehoy antics of her younger brother Pete.”
“No longer a child but not yet a man, he was every inch a hobbledehoy.”
Octothorpe is the actual term used to describe the pound or hashtag symbol (#), which we see used too often today. The word has a mysterious and humorous origin, possibly originating with Bell Labs in the 1960s. Some believe the word “octo” refers to the eight points at the ends of each line, and the “thorpe” refers to the Olympic champion Jim Thorpe.
“The programmer built the program so that an octothorpe was required in each password.”
“You can create a keyword out of anything so long as you precede it with an octothorpe.”
“Most never learn that the hashtag symbol is actually an octothorpe.”
Combining the two words yields some interesting sentences, as we are discussing young male nerds and technology symbols.
“The hobbledehoy scribbled an octothorpe and random words on his notebook, pretending it was a secret code.”
“An octothorpe tattoo on the hobbledehoy’s arm made him feel oddly sophisticated.”
“Every time the hobbledehoy tweeted, he added an octothorpe without knowing what it meant.”
References and Further Reading
Image created using a combination of Copilot and Photoshop.
