clodhopper
noun

-  a foolish, awkward, or clumsy person

- a clumsy and uncouth rustic

- a large, heavy shoe (size-fourteen)

Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Languages


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WORD ORIGIN

The word “clodhopper” dates back to the late 17th century and has a colourful, rural origin.

- Clod: from Middle English clodde, meaning a lump of earth or soil. It refers to something heavy, earthy, or unrefined.

- Hopper: from the verb hop (jump or spring), with -er indicating a person who hops or moves heavily. It can also imply awkward movement.

Originally, clodhopper referred to a country person or farm labourer, especially one who walked heavily through fields — literally someone who hops or stomps through clods of earth. It likely had connotations of being unsophisticated, rough, or physically awkward.

Over time, clodhopper evolved to mean a foolish, clumsy or awkward person. It is usually informal or mildly humorous, and can be derogatory depending on context.

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BIG FEET, BIG HEART!

“Clodhopper”—a word that stumbles off the tongue, like the person it describes. We picture someone large-footed, heavy-handed, a bit slow on the uptake and quick to trip. But maybe the clodhopper deserves a second look.

Clodhoppers often carry what others miss: quiet loyalty, an open face, a willingness to laugh at themselves. They don’t glide through life; they tromp through it—boots muddy, arms full, never quite sure if they’re in the right place, but always trying to help. There’s no pretense. Just presence.

The world worships sleekness—quick wit, clever tongues, graceful exits. But grace comes in other forms. Clodhoppers may knock over a wine glass, but they’ll hand you a napkin before you ask. They bring the unvarnished truth, spoken plainly, without elaboration.

In literature, clodhopper’s are often the fool, but in real life, they remind us that sincerity still matters. And that's what counts.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

addlebrain, all thumbs, berk, blockhead, bonehead, botcher, bull in a china shop, bumbler, bumpkin, butcher, butterfingers, clod, CLODHOPPER, clodpole, clumsy oaf (person, soul), clunker, concrete head, donkey, dope, dotard, dub, duffer, dullard, dumbbell, dumbhead, dumdum, dunce, foozle, foozler, goof, goofball, gorilla, hayseed, hillbilly, hopeless case, hulk, jackass, jackleg, jughead, klutz, knothead, lamebrain, loony, lubber, lug, lummox, monkey, moron, muddler, muffer, muppet, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, numbskull, oaf, pea brain, pillock, plonker, prat, rattlebrain, retard, retardate, roughneck, rustic, schlemiel, schlep, schmo, simpleton, spud, thickhead, tomfool, turkey, twit, wally, wimp, yokel

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“The mildly humorous word 'CLODHOPPER' can also have negative associations, take care using it publicly.”

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