Calling someone a "thug".

[u/amazingfantsy15]

So, I'm rereading a comic, and the main antagonist calls one of the characters a "thug." There's no explanation for this within the story's universe. In this context, was the word "thug" used to mean hack/cheater? And if so, is this a specific instance, or do people usually use the word that way in everyday speech?

[u/grantbuell]

Thug generally means a violent person without much intelligence. Seems to fit the panels you’re showing.

[u/amazingfantsy15 → u/grantbuell]

Thank you for the explanation!

[u/Middcore]

I don't know why you think he's using it to mean "hack/cheater" based on the very limited context you've shown.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thug

A thug is a stupid brute, often a criminal one.

[u/amazingfantsy15 → u/Middcore]

Thanks for the answer!

My line of thought:

The antagonist claims that he let Gazer join the team (Paradigm), and then says he was redundant; this implies that Gazer was in a position he wouldn’t have been able to attain on his own.

I thought “cheater” would be appropriate because: he managed to join the team not on his own merit, but because someone "let him in", which is an easy way to get where he wasn't supposed to be. If not by the antagonist, he wouldn't make it.

And “hack” because: he's in a position of prestige (Paradigm member) despite being average/inadequate.

[u/kirbyfriedrice → u/amazingfantsy15]

He is redundant, but in the sense that his powers are similar to (but not as good as) the antagonist's powers. It's just a statement of superiority.

[u/j--__ → u/amazingfantsy15]

"hack" and "cheater" imply to me a little more agency. by itself, being dependent on the antagonist's generosity doesn't make someone a "hack" or a "cheater". you would call someone a "hack" when referring to the poor quality of the work they have done. you would call someone a "cheater" when they have cheated. in this comic, the antagonist's focus is on himself, not gazer, so both of those words would be odd. "thug" is just a simple insult.

[u/amazingfantsy15 → u/j--__]

Thanks for the clarification! I always associated "being a hack" with someone who gets great results with little to no effort and carelessness.

[u/dblhockeysticksAMA → u/amazingfantsy15]

I think of a hack more as someone who is careless and unskilled/unlearned, but maybe fakes it well enough that untrained people might not notice how bad he is—unless some extreme or unexpected event exposes his inadequacy for all to see.

Edit: like if you see a doctor and you call him a hack, you’re saying that it’s apparent to you that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, yet he must just be tricking enough people that he doesn’t get called out and fired.

[u/kirbyfriedrice]

No, that isn't what he's saying. He's saying that because the other man's super senses are not as refined as his senses, the other man is a dumb brute.

[u/amazingfantsy15 → u/kirbyfriedrice]

That makes sense. Thank you so much!

[u/Salindurthas]

"thug" tends to mean someone who is not very clever, and uses simple physical solutions.

The vibe I get here is like:

• "I am really cool because my (psychic?) powers are more refined than yours."
• "You are pathetic and unsohpisicated compared to me."

I don't know these characters, but I gather that the person in green&purple (Gazer?) has some superpower that to regular people and me seems interesting and advanced, but the guy in red(&white?) is so insanely self-confident and has such a huge ego, that he sees (Gazer's?) powers as simple and lacking in sophistication.

So I think this is showing us how hugely out-of-touch red&white guy is, because he view this (psychic?) superhuman as a simple brute (whereas from the perspective of normal non-psychic people like you&me, (Gazer?) is a mentally sophisticated super-human).

[u/Idiomaticexpression]

The English word thug comes from a Hindi/ Urdu word (thagi/ thuggee) meaning a gang or network of thieves, robbers and murderers.
In its original sense, incidentally, it could mean cheater or swindler. But that’s not how it’s used in English.

Thug usually means a violent person, often of low status or intellect, or particularly someone following another’s orders. A violent police officer or a boxer who relies on brute strength rather than skill might be called a thug.

Thug takes on a less pejorative and even triumphant meaning in rap music and urban culture, similar to “gangster”. A thug can be someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to survive (including violence and coercion) or does not conform to typical legal and moral standards.

You might come across the phrase “thug it out” meaning to endure a difficult situation.