dodgepot n. originally, a race horse that is heavily favored but has mixed success; (hence) a quirky or eccentric person. Etymological Note: The information given in Gerald Hammond’s The Language of Horse Racing is probably correct, that dodgepot is a blend of dodgy and hotpot. Hammond says a hotpot first meant a heavily backed race horse, then later came to also mean a “star performer.” Hammond traces the term dodgepot back to as early as 1990. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)