flibbertigibbet

WOTD - 5 February 2007    

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

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.

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 examples of the usage of this term see the citations page.

Translations

offbeat, skittish person

French: écervelé (fr) m., écervelée (fr) f. Dutch: fratsenmaker, wispelturig iemand (nl)(1),duiveltje, deugniet (nl)(2),roddelaar (nl)(3)

Polish: trzpiotka (pl) f., gaduła (pl) f.

References

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