Word Spy - toxic bachelor

(TAWKS.ik bach.uh.lur) n. An unmarried man who is selfish, insensitive, and afraid of commitment.

Example Citation:

I hope no one gave you The Rules for Christmas, girls, because I'm afraid that the idea that men could be brought to heel, like dogs, is completely over. There is a triumphalist whiff of testosterone in the air — the toxic bachelor, formerly known as the cad, the rake, the bounder and the ladykiller, is back in town.
—Jane Campbell, "Watch out ladies — the toxic bachelor is coming to town," Independent on Sunday, January 6, 2002

Earliest Citation:

Carrie's brother Peter (John Barrowman) is an attorney whose glamor-boy aura and family mystique obscures his professional achievements. His best friend, Gil Chase (Justin Lazard), is a sleazy, love-'em-and-leave-'em stockbroker, accurately described in the pilot as a "toxic bachelor."
—Gene Seymour, "New York City gets its own prime-time soap, 'Central Park West.'," Newsday, September 3, 1995

Notes:

This phrase was coined by Candace Bushnell in one of her original "Sex and the City" columns for the New York Observer in the mid-90s.

Categories:

Marriage and Relationships
Men and Women
People

Posted on January 22, 2002