{
  "id": 8685599,
  "title": "'Quockerwodger is the word of our era': Shashi Tharoor’s latest vocabulary lesson comes with a political jab",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/quockerwodger-is-the-word-of-our-era-shashi-tharoors-latest",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-20T12:48:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Mint",
    "slug": "live-mint",
    "url": "https://www.livemint.com/news/india/quockerwodger-is-the-word-of-our-era-shashi-tharoor-s-latest-vocabulary-lesson-comes-with-a-political-jab-for-bjp-11789907207702.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recently dubbed 'quockerwodger' as the \"word of our era\" in a post on X, while also taking a jab at his political opponents. The term originates from 19th-century English slang and originally referred to a wooden toy puppet with movable limbs. Over time, its meaning evolved to describe a person, especially a politician, who lacks independent will and is controlled or directed by someone else. Tharoor, a former Union Minister and accomplished author, is known for his vast vocabulary and eloquence. However, he has made grammatical errors in the past, including a typo in a birthday message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.",
  "summary": "A 19th-century English slang term, ‘quockerwodger’ originally referred to a wooden toy puppet - a jointed figure whose arms and legs jerk or dance when manipulated by strings.",
  "key_points": [
    "Shashi Tharoor calls 'quockerwodger' the word of our era",
    "Term evolved from 19th-century English slang for wooden puppet",
    "Tharoor uses it to criticize political opponents"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}