Akademik

n.

A stupid person; a person who does or says something stupid.

"The deliciously ironic bit, though, was the comment from a Transit Workers Union representative who thought Muni drivers would experience less stress. These are the same induhviduals who can't be bothered to pull their behemoths into the block-long bus zones fiercely defended by $250 fines."

— Kim L. Serkes, "Draconian Plan," The San Francisco Chronicle, November 30, 1999

Today's word has made it to the mainstream largely as a result of the efforts of Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip/media empire. He asked the readers of his newsletter to come up with a name for stupid people (which he more or less defined as people who don't read Dilbert!). Here's what happened:

"In the last newsletter I asked what we should call people who are not in the DNRC [Dogbert's New Ruling Class]. The rules were that the name should sound harmless to them but we would recognize it as a clever insult. I didn't specify that the name had to be sophomoric, but most of you accurately surmised that I would rate those suggestions higher. Hundreds of suggestions poured in.

And the winner is:

*** In-duh-viduals ***

As promised, sainthood has been bestowed on the winner, Saint Heather of Beantown."

— Scott Adams, Dilbert Newsletter \#6, June, 1995

Ever since then, his monthly newsletter has included a section titled "True Tales of Induhviduals" that features stories of stupid people saying and doing stupid things.