Thing Not To Be Today: a twerp.

 Is there room for twerps, these days?

I do hope so, because surely everyone loves a twerp. 

My Collins Dictionary tells us that a twerp is a silly, weak-minded or contemptible person, but I don't think that's quite right. 

A twerp is someone who accidentally puts salt in his coffee instead of sugar. A twerp is someone who loses his train ticket. A twerp is someone who doesn't realise until he's got home from the shops that the person he thought was the butcher was actually the vicar.

I fear the world is too fond of slinging foul insults at well-meaning people to hold back, now.

But next time someone nice makes a silly mistake (and it's quite likely, after all, to be you) do consider using the word twerp.

I'm sure it'd make the world a happier place.

Thing Not To Be Today: a twerp. This word appeared in the 1900s, but no one is sure from whence it came.