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A spoiled brat (alternatively spelled spoilt brat in British English) is a child whose parents or other educators systematically fail to teach socially acceptable behavior and discipline.
Word history The word brat is recorded in the English language since circa 1505, as slang for "beggar's child," originally northern, Midlands and western England dialect "makeshift or ragged garment," probably the same word as Old English bratt "cloak," from a Celtic source (cfr. Old Irish bratt "cloak, cloth"). The modern meaning of mischievous kid is perhaps from the notion of "child's apron." The adjective bratty was first recorded in 1961. The word , in the Russian language means brother, and though the term in English is independent of a child's gender, this has the same sibling connotations and may have affected the term's usage and development. The spoiled half of the common phrase may come from the saying "spare the rod and spoil the child", which is commonly attributed to the Hebrew Bible. . Rationale
Archetypical image of spoiled brats The stereotypical spoiled brat is a child that comes from a usually-rich family or from a rich upbringing. In fiction there are also stereotypical exterior characteristics. If a girl, she is always wearing a dress and sometimes has pigtails or very stylized and oversized ringlets, sometimes with a smile on her face to appear sweet, but may revel in some tomboyish behavior when alone with other kids. If a boy, he is most likely dressed in fine clothes at all times and has his hair brushed and cut neatly. Sometimes the boy is portrayed as very obese, from overindulgence of food. Fictional spoiled brats of both genders are often portrayed as redheaded, as a symbol of a fiery temperament. Terminology A more positive term for "spoiled brat" would be "spoiled princess" for a girl who doesn't show much of the negative symptoms of spoiling ("spoiled prince" for a boy). Another would be "daddy's little girl", which is a girl that is usually pampered by her father, and "mommy's little boy" (which is a boy usually pampered by his mother). A similar but more embracing is that of a spoiled child, which only indicates that it is overindulged, but contrary to the brat is not necessarily misbehaving as a result; in a happy family a parent may even jocularly say something like "you're so spoiled, aren't you?" to a well-behaved child when he or she gets a treat or gift. During the Cold War France was recovering its wealth and began large economic reforms from the aftermath of World War II. Because of this, the term enfant gaté (spoiled child) is quite common there. The term mainly regards those French who were born at the time when France had recovered a lot of its economy and wealth, the term also applies to their children, who fill most of the underage population of France today. In Dutch, verwend nest (verwend means spoiled) only applies to girls. Fictional spoiled brats There are many fictional characters (in literature, cartoons, film, television...) who may be described as spoiled brats. This is usually due to their outward behavior around people, their financial situations, or the overaffection of their parent(s). Spoiled brats may also be considered antagonists of the show despite not being a villian. Some of the most famous are Eric Cartman from South Park, Montana Max from Tiny Toon Adventures, Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Angelica Pickles in Rugrats and All Grown Up!, Wendy O. Koopa from the Mario games, Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind and Dudley Dursley from Harry Potter. See also | ||||||||||
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