toe-tapper

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A piece of music with a prominent beat, to which one feels compelled to tap their toes.
  2. A joke which is found to be pleasingly humorous.
  3. A homosexual who is closeted regarding sexual orientation, especially one who solicits gay sex.

Pronunciation

/ˈtəʊˌtæpə/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-toe-tapper.wav /ˈtoʊˌtæpɚ/

Word forms

toe-tapper toe-tappers

Etymology

From toe + tapper. The second sense (“a joke”) derives from the practice of tapping one’s toes to indicate pleasure; compare toe-tappingly. The third sense (“a closeted homosexual, especially one who solicits gay sex”) derives from the Larry Craig scandal in 2007 in which then-Senator Larry Craig was arrested after tapping his right foot in a men’s restroom, an action seen as covert solicitation of sex.

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