grasshopper
B1Neutral to informal (for the insect); technical in entomology; dated/informal for the 'itinerant person' sense.
Definition
Meaning
A plant-eating insect with long hind legs for jumping, belonging to the order Orthoptera.
A cocktail made with crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream. Also, a person who moves from place to place or job to job frequently (informal, dated).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to the insect. The 'itinerant person' sense is now rare and somewhat archaic. The cocktail sense is specific to bartending contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning for the insect. The cocktail is known in both regions. The informal term for a novice or young person (e.g., 'young grasshopper') from kung fu films is understood in both but is a cultural reference, not a native lexical item.
Connotations
Neutral for the insect. The 'young grasshopper' reference carries a wise-mentor/student connotation from popular culture.
Frequency
Equally common for the insect in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The grasshopper [jumped/landed/chirped].We saw/heard a grasshopper.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “"Knee-high to a grasshopper" (very young/small).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Potentially in agriculture (pest control) or as a metaphor for a small, agile startup.
Academic
Common in biology/entomology texts.
Everyday
Common when discussing insects, gardens, or summer.
Technical
Used in entomology with specific species names (e.g., 'Migratory grasshopper').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He tends to grasshopper between projects, never finishing one.
American English
- She grasshoppered from one sales job to another.
adjective
British English
- The child had a grasshopper-like energy.
American English
- It was a grasshopper-green colour.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I saw a green grasshopper in the garden.
- The grasshopper can jump very far.
- A large grasshopper landed on my picnic blanket.
- Farmers sometimes worry about grasshopper swarms.
- The biology class studied the grasshopper's digestive system as a model organism.
- His career path was erratic; he was a real grasshopper, never settling in one role.
- The cocktail menu featured a classic Grasshopper, a sweet after-dinner drink.
- The metaphor of the ant and the grasshopper is often used to contrast diligence with improvidence.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of grass + hopper: it lives in the GRASS and HOPs.
Conceptual Metaphor
AGILITY/INSTABILITY (to 'grasshopper' from job to job); INSIGNIFICANCE/SMALL SIZE ('knee-high to a grasshopper').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'кузнечик' (which is correct). Avoid literal translation of idioms; 'knee-high to a grasshopper' is not directly translatable.
Common Mistakes
- Spelling: 'grasshoper' (missing a 'p').
- Confusing with 'cricket' or 'locust' without context.
Practice
Quiz
In the famous Aesop's fable, what is the primary characteristic of the grasshopper?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Grasshoppers are usually diurnal, have short antennae, and 'sing' by rubbing their legs on their wings. Crickets are often nocturnal, have long antennae, and 'chirp' by rubbing their wings together.
Yes, informally, meaning to move quickly or erratically from one thing to another, though this usage is not very common.
It's an American folk expression from the 19th century, using the small size of a grasshopper to humorously describe how small or young someone once was.
All locusts are a type of grasshopper, but not all grasshoppers are locusts. Locusts are species that can change behaviour and form massive, destructive swarms under certain conditions.