waspy
Meaning
resembling or characteristic of a wasp, especially in being slender with a narrow waist
(informal, often derogatory) resembling or characteristic of a member of the white anglo-saxon protestant social group, especially in being aloof, privileged, or conservative
Structure
Usage
she had a waspy figure, with a strikingly narrow waist.
his waspy demeanor and old-money background made him feel out of place at the diverse, bohemian party.
the novel satirizes the waspy traditions of the exclusive new england country club.
Etymology
The word 'waspy' is a Modern English formation, directly combining the noun 'wasp' with the productive adjectival suffix '-y'. The base noun 'wasp' has a deep Germanic lineage, tracing back to Proto-Germanic wabis- and ultimately to the pie root wops-, meaning 'weaver', likely in reference to the insect's nest-building habits. The suffix '-y' is equally ancient, descending from the common Germanic adjectival suffix -igaz. The semantic logic is transparent: the primary meaning describes physical resemblance to the insect. The secondary, informal meaning is a metaphorical extension from the acronym 'wasp' (white Anglo-Saxon protestant), applying the same suffix to denote characteristics stereotypically associated with that social group.
Analysis
wasp (from old english wæps, wæsp, of west germanic origin; the insect). y (from old english -ig, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'characterized by; full of; having the qualities of').