wingnut
Hand-tightened threaded hardware
A wingnut is a nut with two flat projections that allow it to be tightened or loosened by hand without tools.
The shape resembles wings, hence the name.
In American political slang, wingnut is a dismissive term for someone with extreme views, especially on the right: The comment section was full of wingnuts ranting about conspiracies.
The slang sense plays on the hardware meaning—implying a screw loose.
Threaded rod for nuts
- screwThreaded metal fastener
- washerSpacer ring for fasteners
- threadFiber for stitching
- tightenMake more secure
loosen · clamp · wrench · pliers · spanner · hex · anchor · secure
Eccentric individual
- kookEccentric or strange person
- crankRotary operating handle
- weirdoPeculiar person, dismissively
- crackpotEccentric with strange ideas
freak · nutcase · whacko · loose cannon · conspiracy theorist · fringe · unhinged · paranoid
Cautious about altering customs
- extremistOne holding fringe views
- partisanBiased toward one side
- radicalRoot-indicating symbol
- reactionaryAnti-progress political stance
ideologue · fringe · Tea Party · militia · conspiracy · anti-government · libertarian · fundamentalist
bolt
Threaded rod for nuts
tighten · loosen · clamp · wrench · pliers · spanner · hex · anchor · secure · hardware
oddball
Eccentric individual
crackpot · freak · nutcase · whacko · loose cannon · conspiracy theorist · fringe · unhinged · paranoid · tinfoil hat
conservative
Cautious about altering customs
reactionary · ideologue · fringe · Tea Party · militia · conspiracy · anti-government · libertarian · fundamentalist · hardliner
maple
Sap-yielding hardwood tree
- samaraWinged botanical dispersal unit
- seedEmbryonic plant capsule
- helicopterRotary-wing aircraft
whirlybird · pod · propeller · spin · fall · tree · sycamore · ash · elm · dispersal
wingnutvoice of reason