Citations:flibbertigibbet

English citations of flibbertigibbet

c. 1450, The Castle of Perseverance‎^[1], lines 775-6:
Flepergebet wyth hys flaterynge / Standyth Mankynde in stede.

1549, Bishop Latimer, Sermon before King Edward IV‎^[2], page 69:
But wherefore shall a kynge feare God, and turne neyther to the ryght hande, nor to the left? Wherefore shall he do all thys? Vt longo tempore regnet, ipse et filii eius. That he may raigne long, he and hys chyldren. Remembre thys I besech your grace. And when these flatterers, and flybbergybes an other daye shall come and clawe you by the backe and say. Syr trouble not your selfe ? What should you study?

1603, Samuel Harsnett, A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures‎^[3]:
Frateretto, Fliberdigibbet, Hoberdidance, Tocobatto were four devils of the round or morris, whom Sara in her fits tuned together in measure and sweet cadence.

c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
Fiue fiends haue been in poore Tom at once, / Of luſt, as Obidicut, Hobbididence Prince of dumbnes / Mahu of ſtealing, Modo of murder, Flibbertigibbet / of Mobing,& Mowing, who since poſſeſſes chambermaids / And waiting women […]

1914, Joyce Kilmer, “Old Poets”, in Trees and Other Poems:
For these young flippertigibbets^[sic] / ⁠A-rhyming their hours away / They won't be still like honest men / ⁠And listen to what you say.

1959, “Maria (The Nuns)”, in Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics), Richard Rodgers (music), The Sound of Music:
How do you find a word that means Maria? / A flibbertigibbet, a Will-o-the-wisp, a clown

2002 June 2, The State:
On stage, he's a flibbertigibbet, all arms and legs, motion, movement, up and down, side to side, breathing audibly

1990 January 13, David Quantick, Steven Wells, “Is It Rock Art Or Is It Nart?”, in New Musical Express:
Surely someone serious like Bono or Sting cares more about real rock 'n' roll and the kids than flibberty-gibberting fly-by-nights like Kylie and Sinitta?