I recently completed reading the novel "Cat's cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut. In this novel he describes peasant as:
"A pissant is somebody who thinks he's so damn smart, he can never keep his mouth shut. No matter what anybody says, he's got to argue with it. You say why you like something, and, by God, he'll tell you why you're wrong to like it. A pissant does his best to make you feel like a boob all the time. No matter what you say, he knows better."
I have never seen this word before so I checked it with the online dictionary. However, there was only an explanation for the word "peasant". Can anyone please explain me if these words mean the same thing? Is the word "pissant" with the meaning above in wide use today?
Best Answer
A peasant is a farmer. A "pissant" is someone who throws his words away like "water." In practice, handworking peasants are seldom "pissants." Their only similarity is that the words can sound alike if not pronounced distinctly.