Fuzzy-Wuzzy
Colonial slang, Sudan
Fuzzy-Wuzzy was British colonial slang for a Sudanese warrior, particularly the Hadendoa people who fought against British forces in the 1880s.
The term referenced their distinctive bushy hairstyles.
Kipling's poem "Fuzzy-Wuzzy" both mocked and grudgingly admired these fighters: So 'ere's to you, Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your 'ome in the Soudan.
The term is now offensive.
In other contexts, Fuzzy-Wuzzy appears in the children's tongue-twister about a bear with no hair.
Of a northeast African nation
- KiplingVictorian jungle storyteller
- colonialOf occupied territories
- soldierArmed forces member
- BritishOf the United Kingdom
empire · warrior · campaign · Victorian · Tommy · battle · regiment · bravery
Room for infants
- bearLarge furry omnivore
- hairFibrous scalp covering
- wasn'tPast negative of be
- children'sBelonging to minors
recitation · tongue-twister · wordplay · chant · memory · playful · bald · riddle
Sudanese
Of a northeast African nation
British · empire · warrior · campaign · Victorian · Tommy · battle · regiment · bravery · foe
nursery
Room for infants
children's · recitation · tongue-twister · wordplay · chant · memory · playful · bald · riddle · poem
soft
Yielding to touch
teddy · toy · blanket · fleece · velvety · cuddly · cozy · downy · napped · chenille