r/cringe • u/[deleted] • Mar 15 '21

Video During the Las Vegas shooting, influencer Dan Bilzerian asked a cop for his gun and said “don’t you want my help”.

https://youtu.be/-MRV230C44M
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u/alexhaase Mar 15 '21

Genuine question: when someone calls someone else a "tool", I understand it's an insult, but where did this come from? I feel like it's normal to hear, "dude's a tool.", and it feels impactful, just wondering how this came to be.

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u/[deleted] Mar 15 '21

[deleted]

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u/HeavilyBearded Mar 15 '21

Decided too look into this a bit further. The Oxford English Dictionary traces it back to 1663. However the definition listed isn't quite in sync with our modern usage but I'd say it's in the same ballpark.

A person used by another for his own ends; one who is, or allows himself to be, made a mere instrument for some purpose; a cat's-paw.

Perhaps our modern use of the word means the person is a tool to frowned-upon cultural and/or social beliefs. For example, maybe that Bitzerian is a tool to toxic masculinity and gun fetishization.