conehead n. a scientist; a brainy person. Also cone. Editorial Note: Probably influenced by pointy-head ‘a brainy or intellectual person.’ Despite what the 1997 citation says, this term is probably also influenced by a series of skits and a movie about the Coneheads, hyper-literal and unemotional space aliens played by Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd, which first aired in 1976 on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. Cone meaning ‘the head’ dates to at least as early as 1870. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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