Pissant
A pissant, also seen as piss-ant and piss ant, is one or the other of two specific types of ant. Its origin is with pismire, a 14th-century word for ant.[1][2] The term is also used as an insulting noun, and a pejorative adjective.
The original pissant is any of a certain group of large ant species, commonly called wood ants, that make mounded nests in British and European forests.[3] The name pissant arises from the urine-like odor produced by their nesting material—needles and straw from pine trees—and the formic acid that constitutes their venom.[4] Formica rufa is one such ant, but there are others with similar characteristics.
Forelius and Irydomyrmex are two genera of piss ants.[5]
In the United States, the word pissant can refer to any small ant that infests a home.[6]
Slang
Pissant is an epithet for an inconsequential, irrelevant, or worthless person, especially one who is irritating or contemptible out of proportion to his or her significance. A Virginia politician who also popularized the term once silenced a heckler by saying "I'm a big dog on a big hunt and I don't have time for a piss-ant on a melon stalk."[7]
Culture
The term piss-ant can also be used as an adjective, usually as a pejorative, to mean insignificant and annoying. In conversations with his advisors during the Vietnam War, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson often referred to Vietnam as "that damn piss-ant little country".[8]
In the musical "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," Miss Mona Stangley sings the song "A Lil' Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place".
The biotechnology sector in Arizona was described by Arizona State University president Michael Crow as being at a "piss ant level" relative to the sector in other states such as California.[9]
After being defeated 4-0 in a semi-final football (soccer) match against Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar's post-match press conference became infamous when he described Adelaide as a "pissant town".[10][11] The rant gained nation-wide publicity in Australia.[12][13]
Piss ant can also be used positively. Ron Ault of the AFL-CIO said, in describing the relationship of his union to the Pentagon, "Our job is to be the irritant, piss ant stinging them on their ankles at every opportunity."[14]
References
- ^ http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19990331
- ^ http://thenightwriterblog.powerblogs.com/posts/1152500340.shtml
- ^ http://vinsonlab.tamu.edu/former/john/formica.htm
- ^ http://www.takeourword.com/Issue102.html#Spotlight
- ^ Kris M. Havstad, Structure and Function of a Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem, Oxford University Press US, 2006, p. 256.
- ^ http://www.pestproducts.com/pissant.htm
- ^ http://www.law.uoregon.edu/faculty/gepps/docs/unclebilly.html
- ^ Jeffrey Record, The wrong war, Naval Institute Press, 1998, p. viii,
- ^ "California vote leads to push for AZ stem cell ban", Phoenix Business Journal, Nov. 12th, 2004.
- ^ http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/national/national/sport/ranting-vidmar-will-keep-his-job/1434294.aspx
- ^ http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25058444-5006068,00.html
- ^ http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/soccer/adelaide-feels-wrath-of-vidmar/2009/02/15/1234028361960.html
- ^ http://www.safm.com.au/shows/rabbitamberandcosi/show-blog//blog/aurelio-vidmar-adelaide-is-a-pissant-town/20090216-2r1y.html
- ^ Stephen Barr, "Blunt Talk on Union Web Site Spotlights Frustration Over Labor Relations Changes", Aug. 20, 2004.
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