flibbertigibbet

WOTD – 5 February 2007    

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From late Middle English first attested 1549 probably imitative of nonsense uttered by gossips. Usage as an imp or fiend and name of the Devil from around 1603.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˌflɪbətiˈdʒɪbɪt/
• (US) IPA: /ˈflɪbɚtiˌdʒɪbɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

flibbertigibbet (plural flibbertigibbets)

1. An offbeat, skittish person; especially said of a young woman.
2. (archaic) An imp, a fiend.
3. A flighty person; someone regarded as silly, irresponsible, or scatterbrained, especially someone who chatters or gossips

Quotations

• For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.

Translations

offbeat, skittish person

• Dutch: fratsenmaker, wispelturig iemand (nl)(1), duiveltje, deugniet (nl)(2), roddelaar (nl)(3)

• French: écervelé (fr) m, écervelée (fr) f
• Polish: trzpiotka (pl) f, gaduła (pl) f

References

• flibbertigibbet in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “flibbertigibbet” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).