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Ginger vs Ungainly - What's the difference?

ginger | ungainly |

As a proper noun ginger

is and nickname.

As an adjective ungainly is

clumsy; lacking grace.

ginger

English

(wikipedia ginger)

Etymology 1

(etyl) gingere, alteration of gingivere, from late (etyl) gingifer, gingiber (influenced by (etyl) gingibre), from ).

Noun

  • The pungent aromatic rhizome of a tropical Asian herb, Zingiber officinale , used as a spice and as a stimulant and acarminative.
  • The plant that produces this rhizome.
  • Other species belonging to the same family, Zingiberaceae, especially those of the genus Zingiber
  • A reddish-brown colour/color.
  • A person with reddish-brown hair; a redhead.
  • (colloquial, uncountable) vitality, vigour, liveliness (of character)
  • Derived terms
    * ginger ale * ginger beer * ginger group * ginger knob * ginger nut * ginger pop * ginger wine * gingerbread * gingerbread man * gingerette * gingerroot * gingersnap * gingery * Jamaica ginger * stem ginger * wild ginger

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (of hair) Of a reddish-brown colour.
  • Flavoured with ginger.
  • Derived terms
    * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To add ginger to.
  • To enliven, to spice (up).
  • * 1982 , (Lawrence Durrell), Constance'', Faber & Faber 2004 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 886:
  • The accident was an excuse merely to replace an old-fashioned regular with old-fashioned notions by an active, fire-eating young general who would ginger things up.
  • To apply ginger to the anus of a horse to encourage it to carry its tail high and move in a lively fashion.
  • Derived terms
    * ginger up

    See also

    * parkin * redhead * shandy * shandygaff * turmeric *

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To move gingerly.
  • * 1972 September 1, Paul Hemphill, “‘I Gotta Let the Kid Go’”, in , ISSN 0024-3019, Volume 73, Number 9, page 42:
  • Spring training began on Christmas Day, when my cousin and I gingered onto the lot behind the fire station to try out our new spikes.
  • * 1979 , Bill Marshall, Bukom , Longman, ISBN 9780582642232, page 83:
  • She gingered her way into the river and timidly splashed into its waters.
  • * 1992 , Donald Anderson, “My Name Is Stephen Mann”, in Aethlon'', reprinted in ''Fire Road , University of Iowa Press (2001), ISBN 978-0-87745-778-7, page 11:
  • I gingered my hands into my grandfather’s [boxing] gloves.
  • * 2009 , Montana Kid Hammer, The Old West Adventures of Ornery and Slim: The Partnership , AuthorHouse, ISBN 978-1-4389-1998-0, page 47:
  • Takin’ good care not to topple into the depths o’ this muddy ol’ ooze, I gingered my way across the muddy path along the river’s edge until I arrived at that big hat.

    Etymology 3

    Cockney rhyming slang: ginger beer = queer

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (UK, Cockney rhyming slang) a homosexual.
  • Adjective

    (-)
  • (UK, Cockney rhyming slang) homosexual.
  • Anagrams

    *

    ungainly

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • clumsy; lacking grace.
  • * Macaulay
  • His ungainly figure and eccentric manners.
  • difficult to move or to manage; unwieldy.
  • (obsolete) unsuitable; unprofitable
  • (Hammond)