booby:

(plural form: ‘boobies‘; pronunciation: the letters ‘oo’ rhyme with the letters ‘oo’ in “boot” and the letters ‘by’ rhyme with the word “bee”)

two boobies riding a bicycle, each pedaling in opposite direction?

 

 

a silly, foolish or ignorant person; an idiot;

(mostly in British usage) a losing player in a game,

a booby, the bomb/grenade explodes when the door handle is turned
e.g.

When Anna was asked to play against Betty, she said she  did not want to play against a booby.

The instructor was not able to cope with a class of boobies that did not have an iota of knowledge in machines and mechanics.

The experts in the bomb disposable squad are trained in identifying a real bomb as well as a booby bomb.

Julia, who lives alone in a villa, has placed several booby traps in and around her house so that if any burglar tries to sneak into her villa, day or night, he is sure to fall into one of them.

a booby trap
A more common meaning is ‘a slow moving water (sea) bird‘; the word ‘boobies’ is also used to refer to a woman’s breast, also called ‘boobs’ — not to be used in formal situations; and this word combined with ‘trap’ — booby trap — is used to refer to something such as an ordinary-looking box in which a bomb is placed and when the lid of the box is touched or opened the bomb inside explodes, and also a simple hidden trap which makes you fall in it or something else fall on you.  A ‘booby prize’ is a prize given for the lowest score, the last in the race, etc.

Return to “booby” in Animals in Language.

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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