88. Shakespeare has the first known use of the word swagger to mean an arrogant or insolent walking strut. What was the meaning of the Old Norse word "sveggja", a possible origin for swagger?
From Quiz In the Words of Shakespeare
Answer:
To swing or sway
The word "sveggja" means to swing or sway in old Norse. The word swagger makes an appearance in five of the Bard's plays. At first, Shakespeare used the word swagger to refer to a swaying walk. Swagger then developed into denoting someone who is quarrelsome, arrogant, or insolent. It's likely no coincidence that alcohol intoxication, with its characteristic belligerence and unsteady walk, matches the description so well. Maybe Shakespeare was considering a drunk person when he decided to use the word.
Modern research into walking styles has shown some correlations with personality. A person with swagger of exaggerated movements in the shoulders and lower body are paired with someone who is more aggressive in nature, whereas someone with a swagger in just their hips tends to be more friendly and agreeable. Creative individuals, however, often have little to no noticeable swagger. All this to say, we often subconsciously pick up on these clues, allowing us to know how to react to people we first encounter.
Swagger has become a popular word to use in rap lyrics to denote someone who is confident and tough. Jay Z's 2008 hit song "Swagga Like Us" in particular, which was a sample of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes", popularized the use of the word. Following the debut of "Swagga Like Us", the word swagger has been used over 1000 times in rap lyrics.
This question was written by Phoenix Rising's BigTriviaDawg who will probably be oversensitive to people's swagger for the next few weeks.
= Top 5% Rated Quiz,
Top 10% Rated Quiz,
Top 20% Rated Quiz,
A Well Rated Quiz
=
added recently, 
= Editor's Pick
= FunTrivia Editor 
= Gold Member