Timeline for Derogatory word, describing person (a pupil) who memorizes instead of learning?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
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| Mar 21, 2016 at 4:22 | comment | added | Benjamin R | "Swot" (Noun) means somebody who studies hard and likes school, whereas "to swot" is the process of studying a subject intensely. It is used in a derogatory sense by those who are jealous of their peer who does well at school, sure, but it has no relationship to the idea that the OP is asking, which is blatant from the citation you provided. As bad as Oxford Dictionaries is, even it manages to convey how silly this answer is. | |
| Mar 16, 2016 at 14:48 | comment | added | Peter Cordes | @ArtB: As a Canadian, I'm aware of "cramming" (studying just before a test/exam), but mostly thought of it as a British word. Most people just say "study session", even if "cram session" would fit. | |
| Mar 15, 2016 at 20:58 | comment | added | Jules | Indeed. "Cramming" is any form of preparation for an exam, especially last-minute, but without regard to the particular technique, in British English as much as elsewhere. "Swot" also lacks the required connotation, as it is (was?) often used with a meaning similar to the more modern "geek" or "nerd" -- i.e. somebody who prefers learning to other activities, often for the sake of the process. | |
| Mar 15, 2016 at 15:11 | comment | added | xmp125a | As far I understand, cramming is perfectly legitimate and does not necessarily involve rote learning. Grind would be perhaps closer, but "overly diligent" does not imply that the person is doing it in a wrong (and dead-end) fashion. | |
| Mar 15, 2016 at 14:31 | comment | added | Sled | "Cramming" in Canadian (North American?) English just means intense studying. Their are some implications of it being last minute, but you could cram for a math test where you are legitimately learning. | |
| Mar 15, 2016 at 14:09 | comment | added | ghostarbeiter | Supposedly there is a similar word in US English: "a grind" (definition 19). But I'm unfamiliar with it. | |
| Mar 15, 2016 at 7:18 | history | answered | alephzero | CC BY-SA 3.0 |