# What Does "Precocious" Mean to You?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-precocious-mean-to-you/832210>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 8, 2019, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-precocious-mean-to-you/832210 "2019-04-08T12:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-precocious-mean-to-you/832210/21 "2019-04-09T01:36:13Z")

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My first thought was Shirley Temple. So, no not negative. Just cute and smart.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-precocious-mean-to-you/832210/22 "2019-04-09T11:03:33Z")

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> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> Couldn’t you say that for damn near most all adjectives?

Well, _I_ couldn’t, but then again I’m not precocious.☹

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-precocious-mean-to-you/832210/23 "2019-04-09T11:11:26Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Used alone (Mike’s son is precocious.) it has no negative meaning.
> 
> Used with modifiers (Christ, Mike’s son is a precocious little fuck.) it does.

Call me weird, but I think the negative part is “little fuck”.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-precocious-mean-to-you/832210/24 "2019-04-09T12:02:15Z")

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> [@Nava](#):
>
> Call me weird, but I think the negative part is “little fuck”.

You’ve obviously never met Mike’s son.🙂

“Mike’s son is precocious”. Neutral  
"Mike’s son is precocious (paired with a roll-eye) Negative.

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-precocious-mean-to-you/832210/25 "2019-04-09T15:55:24Z")

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I never took it to mean anything other than the dictionary definition, which off the top of my head means something like “sooner than expected.” Little Fred is “precocious” - that is, he’s beyond his years in knowledge, manners, appearance, what have you. Little Suzie entered “precocious puberty” - that is, she got into adolescence at a comparatively early age.

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