Word Origin & History
Nimrod
“great hunter,” 1712, in ref. to the biblical son of Cush, referred to (Gen. x.8-9) as “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” It came to mean “geek, klutz” by 1983 in teenager slang, for unknown reasons. (Amateur theories include its occasional use in “Bugs Bunny” cartoon episodes featuring rabbit-hunting Elmer Fudd as a foil; its possible ironic use, among hunters, for a clumsy member of their fraternity; or a stereotype of deer hunters by the non-hunting population in the U.S. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
http://www.simplyplanes.co.uk/hawker_siddeley_nimrod.shtml
I cant cut and paste....go to the 5th section and they call the Nimrod the Mighty Hunter.
and yeah I remember that particular Bugs Bunny toon...and that probably tipped it over the edge to mean a ‘maroon’ as bugs would say...