2951: Dummy Jan 19, 2025

The word ‘dummy’ has shifted from its origins as a term for a mute person to its current meanings related to mockery or imitation. In the 17th century, ‘dummy’ referred to a ‘dumb person’ (from the Latin dum meaning ‘silent’), and over time, it became associated with inanimate objects designed to resemble people, along with the derogatory sense of how ‘dumb’ is most often used now. This gave rise to modern uses, such as the ‘crash test dummy’, for instance, as a model of something, and similarly, the pacifier, often called a ‘dummy’ in British English.