What does handicapper mean?
A handicapper is a person who assesses competitors and gives them a disadvantage, most commonly in horse racing. A race handicapper may analyze the likely performance of several runners to predict which horse will win, while the term can also refer to an official who assigns weights or allowances. The broader sense applies to anyone who makes another participant's task harder, whether through an official system or personal actions. In British and American usage, the word is especially associated with racing, betting, and other sports in which competitors are evaluated on performance. It can therefore be a neutral technical term, although outside a sporting context it may carry the implication of deliberately arranging matters against someone. The word is memorable because its base, “handicap,” preserves the older expression “hand in a cap,” associated with the ritual of drawing lots or assigning advantages in races.
nounA person who handicaps competitors, especially by assessing entrants and assigning weights or allowances in a race. More generally, it means a person who places another at a disadvantage.
- A person who assesses competitors and assigns handicaps, especially in horse racing.
- A person who places another competitor or participant at a disadvantage.
"The experienced handicapper expected the lightly weighted colt to stay close throughout the race."
"A veteran handicapper judged that the older horse needed several pounds of weight to face its rivals."
"By withdrawing his support, the fundraiser had unintentionally become the event's handicapper."
The regular plural adds -s; when a person is performing the role, “handicapper” is often used without an article in a specific sporting context.
"Several leading handicappers released their selections before the race."
The word preserves an old racetrack image: a handicap was associated with a literal “hand in a cap,” used in drawing lots or assigning advantages.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does handicapper come from?
Handicapper was formed in the early 19th century by adding the agent suffix -er to “handicap,” so it literally means “one who handicaps.” “Handicap” appeared in the late 17th century in the sense of a racing arrangement that placed competitors on unequal terms; it is generally traced to the phrase “hand in cap,” associated with drawing lots. The element “hand” ultimately derives from Old English hand, while related forms such as handle descend from the same Germanic root.
Related word forms
How handicapper is actually used
The word is most familiar in British and American horse-racing and betting contexts. Outside racing, its general sense is less common and may suggest that someone deliberately gives others a disadvantage. In racing usage, it can refer either to a person who evaluates competitors' chances or to an official involved in assigning weights.
Easily confused with handicapper
A handicapper is the person who assesses or disadvantages competitors, whereas a handicap is the disadvantage itself or the system used to establish one.
A handicapper is a person who handicaps competitors, while handicraft means skilled manual work or an article made by hand.