gadabout

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 28, 2014 is: gadabout • \GAD-uh-bout\  • noun : a person who goes from place to place in social activity Examples: When you're a gadabout like Liz, who knows just about everyone, you have no problem getting invited to all of the best parties. "Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston star as an undead European gadabout and a reclusive Detroit rocker who reignite their centuries-old love affair." - Good Times Weekly (Florida), May 23, 2014 Did you know? If you had to pick the insect most closely related to a "gadabout," you might wryly guess the "social butterfly." But there's another bug that's commonly heard buzzing around discussions of "gadabout"-the gadfly. "Gadfly" is a term used for any of a number of winged pests (such as horseflies) that bite or annoy livestock. Since gadflies are known for their nasty bite, it's not surprising that they are named after a sharp chisel or pointed bar used by miners to loosen rock and ore called a "gad." But, although a gadabout's gossip can bite, "gadfly" doesn’t have any clear etymological relation to "gadabout," which traces back to the Middle English verb "gadden," meaning "to wander without a specific aim or purpose." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.