bugbear
something that is annoying or worrying
TRANSLATION
bugbear = ständiges Ärgernis, Schreckgespenst --- GOOGLE INDEX bugbear: approximately 700,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
He said train passengers having loud conversations on mobiles was a big BUGBEAR.
(BBC News)
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The labor market remains the main BUGBEAR of the euro zone, as rising joblessness hurts growth and raises political and social tensions.
(International Business Times)
(BBC News)
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The labor market remains the main BUGBEAR of the euro zone, as rising joblessness hurts growth and raises political and social tensions.
(International Business Times)
Did you
know?
bugbear
noun
- a persistent problem or source of annoyance
(Random House Dictionary)
---
A bugbear is a legendary creature or type of hobgoblin comparable to the bogeyman (or bugaboo), and other creatures of folklore, all of which were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children.
The name derives from a Middle English word "bugge" (a frightening thing), or perhaps the old Welsh word "bwg" (evil spirit or goblin) or Old Scottish "bogill" (goblin), and has cognates in some Germanic languages such as the Swiss Böögg or Böggelmann (goblin) and also the English "bugaboo" and "bogey-man".
In medieval England, the bugbear was depicted as a frightening bear that lurked in the woods to scare children. It was described in this manner in an English translation of a 1565 Italian play The Buggbear.
In a modern context, the term bugbear serves as a metaphor for something that is annoying or irritating.
(adapted from Wikipedia)
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SYNONYMS
pet peeve, peeve, irritation, complaint, pain in the neck, annoyance, headache, vexation, chagrin, hassle, aggravation
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"A lack of parking is the biggest bugbear of living in the city."
---
Thanks to Lothar for suggesting today's word!
noun
- a persistent problem or source of annoyance
(Random House Dictionary)
---
A bugbear is a legendary creature or type of hobgoblin comparable to the bogeyman (or bugaboo), and other creatures of folklore, all of which were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children.
The name derives from a Middle English word "bugge" (a frightening thing), or perhaps the old Welsh word "bwg" (evil spirit or goblin) or Old Scottish "bogill" (goblin), and has cognates in some Germanic languages such as the Swiss Böögg or Böggelmann (goblin) and also the English "bugaboo" and "bogey-man".
In medieval England, the bugbear was depicted as a frightening bear that lurked in the woods to scare children. It was described in this manner in an English translation of a 1565 Italian play The Buggbear.
In a modern context, the term bugbear serves as a metaphor for something that is annoying or irritating.
(adapted from Wikipedia)
---
SYNONYMS
pet peeve, peeve, irritation, complaint, pain in the neck, annoyance, headache, vexation, chagrin, hassle, aggravation
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"A lack of parking is the biggest bugbear of living in the city."
---
Thanks to Lothar for suggesting today's word!
