The word for today is…

hector (noun, verb):

noun
1 : capitalized : a son of Priam, husband of Andromache, and Trojan champion slain by Achilles
2 : bully, braggart

verb
: to behave in an arrogant or intimidating way : to play the bully : swagger
: to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Hector wasn’t always a bully. In Homer’s Iliad, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. How did the name of a Trojan paragon become a generic synonym of bully? That pejorative English use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves “Hectors.” They may have thought themselves gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were merely swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property. By 1660, hector was being used as a noun for the sort of blustering braggarts who populated those gangs, and as a verb as well.

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

David is a retired surgeon originally from London who came to New Zealand twenty-seven years ago after being delayed in Singapore for thirteen years on leaving the UK. He was coerced into studying Latin...