Dunce

A "dunce" is a "slow-witted or stupid person," according to the dictionary. We all recall the picture of schoolchildren wearing those tall, conical "dunce caps," as a visual sign of their stupidity, even though this practice has become less common. It was a bit harsh on the kids, but John Duns Scotus—the man the dunce cap was named after—was also wrongly handled.

Just about how you would feel if people started to associate your name with idiocy. It was made worse by the fact that John Duns Scotus was not a foolish person. He was a Franciscan friar, philosopher, theologian, and university professor who lived in the 13th century. For his clever and exact way of thinking, he was given the academic nickname Doctor Subtilis ("the Subtle Doctor"). Scotus did enjoy donning pointy hats, a habit that his "Dunsmen" adherents also adopted.

For a couple of hundred years, Duns Scotus was revered as a scholar and thinker; however, during the Reformation of the 16th century, when many of his views were rejected by the Church, this perception began to alter. He was obviously no longer able to defend himself, so his detractors ridiculed him, his theories, and his pointed hats, which is how we ended up with the moron we know today.