clabberhead n [ clabber n1 1 + head] chiefly Sth, S Midl, TX
A stupid or foolish person—often used as a vague term of abuse; hence adj clabber-headed.
1869 Flake’s Semi-Weekly Galveston Bull. (TX) 10 Nov 7/3, This reminds us of Whitmore and his friends, who act upon the presumption that clabber-heads and buttermilk brains are good enough for Congress. 1879 Daily Democratic Statesman (Austin TX) 12 Mar [2]/2, The Fayette County Record . . denominates him [=a state legislator] the “clabber-headed gentleman from this county.” 1906 Congressional Record 28 Apr 40.6.6044/2 SC, I do not know what is going on, and do not seem to be able to “catch on.” I may be “clabber headed.” 1911 Montgomery Advt. (AL) 22 Jan 4/4, [Letter:] He could . . save the State in agriculture at least $200,000 now wasted by political clabber-heads called wardens. 1940 AmSp 15.215 wFL, Clabberhead . . a foolish or dirty talking person. 1949 Webber Backwoods Teacher 158 Ozarks, I’d hate to go in debt fer money we don’t have jist to have some clabberhead write on a piece of paper that Pa is shore ’nough dead. 1958 Latham Meskin Hound 167 cTX, Dry up that racket , you clabber-headed dogs! 1975 Sebastopol Times (CA) 11 Dec 4/1, Some high-handed clabberhead, armed with a little authority and a badge, could at some distant time conduct a private reign of terror in this town. 1990 Clarion–Ledger (Jackson MS) 11 Nov sec H 4/4, [Letter:] Who is the clabber-head advising President George Bush to compare Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with Adolph Hitler? 2018 in 2021 DARE File—Internet cTX, Car ran really strong with this combo until I spit 6 rods through the oil pan . . while trying to show off to a car load of clabberheads in an Oldsmobile 88 diesel, that were egging me on. Ibid csKS, See how simple that was when we stopped pretending that the clabberheaded Tea Party saps knew what they were talking about?