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I've always thought of "scrappy," as more like an indomitable underdog, not someone belligerent (which has negative connotations) or necessarily undignified.
by dgabriel 17y ago
I've always thought of "scrappy," as more like an indomitable underdog, not someone belligerent (which has negative connotations) or necessarily undignified.
- jwecker 17y agoIt comes from old-school boxing. "Inclined to fight" was the original meaning. Bellicose is closer than belligerent. Certainly undignified, traditionally at least. In the last few decades it has been used for underdogs, as in "he's small but scrappy-" giving it that positive implication you mention- small but always ready to fight. Think scrappy-doo
- geebee 17y ago"Scrappy" is a half-compliment. That's different from an underhanded compliment, which is an insult in the guise of a compliment. A half-compliment is a statement that is earnestly complimentary, but with some negative connotations. Think of it this way: nobody would refer to Roger Federer as "scrappy". You could say that the opposite of "scrappy" is dignified, but you could also say the opposite of scrappy is "elegant." Dignity may be deadly, but I'm not sure that's the only thing you lose when you exude "scrappiness".