his Teflon cockiness has finally worn off

"Financial chaos, economic crisis, the likely breakaway of Scotland and possibly Northern Ireland: quite a morning’s work for the Bullingdon Club."

Cameron has lost his job – his Teflon cockiness has finally worn off

As the pound plunges and the markets slide, remember that this entire…

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Teflon 

Pronunciation: /ˈtɛflɒn/ 

NOUN

trademark

1A tough synthetic resin made by polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene, chiefly used to coatnon-stick cooking utensils and to make seals and bearings. Also calledpolytetrafluoroethylene.

Example sentences

1.1[AS MODIFIER] Denoting someone whose reputation remains undamaged in spite ofscandal or misjudgement:acquittal earned him the nickname ‘the Teflon Don’

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Origin

1940s: from tetra- 'four' + fluoro- + -on on the pattern of words such as nylon and rayon.

cocky 1 

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒki/ 

ADJECTIVE (cockier, cockiest)

Conceited or confident in a bold or cheeky way:we were young, brash, cocky—we knew everythinga cocky playboy with a desperado mustache

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Derivatives

cockily

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒkɪli/  

ADVERB

Example sentences

cockiness

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒkinəs/  

NOUN

Example sentences

Origin

Mid 16th century (in the sense 'lecherous'): from cock¹ + -y¹.