piffle

WOTD – 4 December 2009    

English

Etymology

Unknown, 1847. Perhaps blend of piddle and trifle, perhaps puff (“(onomatopoeia, puff of air)”) +‎ -le (“diminutive”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈpɪf.əl/, X-SAMPA: /pIf.@l/
• Rhymes: -ɪfəl

Noun

piffle (uncountable)

1. Nonsense, foolish talk.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:nonsense

Translations

nonsense, foolish talk

• Finnish: höpinä (fi), höpötys (fi)
• French: babil (fr), logorrhée (fr), diarrhée verbale (fr), déconnage (fr), bafouillage (fr), jargon (fr), baragouin (fr)
• Italian: scemenze (it) f, sciocchezze (it), stupidaggini (it)

• Portuguese: conversa fútil (pt) f
• Russian: чепуха (ru) (čepuxa) f, болтовня (ru) (boltovnja) f, вздор (ru) (vzdor) m
• Spanish: parloteo (es), chapurreo (es), chamullo (es), cháchara (es), jerga (es), jerigonza (es)
• Welsh: malu awyr (cy)

Verb

piffle (third-person singular simple present piffles, present participle piffling, simple past and past participle piffled)

1. To act or speak in a futile, ineffective, or nonsensical manner.
2. To waste, to fritter away.

Synonyms

• (act or speak in a futile manner): trifle, twaddle

Translations

to act or speak in a futile, ineffective, or nonsensical manner

• Finnish: hölmöillä (fi), höperehtiä (fi)
• French: babiller (fr), vaticiner (fr), déconner (fr), péter les plombs (fr), baragouiner (fr), jargonner (fr)
• German: quatschen (de)
• Italian: cicalare (it), chiacchierare (it)

• Polish: mówić bzdury (pl), zachowywać się głupio (pl)
• Russian: нести чушь (ru) (nesti čušʹ), болтать вздор (ru) (boltatʹ vzdor)
• Spanish: parlotear (es), chamullar (es), chacharear (es), chapurrar (es), chapurrear (es), farfullar (es)