the word 'whopper' originates from the verb 'whop', an echoic term imitating the sound of a heavy blow or strike. the agent suffix '-er' was added, initially forming a noun for something that delivers a powerful impact. this literal sense of a heavy blow evolved metaphorically to describe anything of striking size or force, leading to its primary modern meaning of something extraordinarily large. subsequently, the idea of a striking or shocking falsehood gave rise to its secondary meaning of an outrageous lie.

Structure: whop (to strike) + er (agent/instrument suffix) whop (from middle english 'whappen', likely of imitative origin, meaning to strike or beat); er (from old english '-ere', an agent noun suffix indicating a person or thing that performs an action).