gubbins
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See also: Gubbins
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Ante 1553. From gobbon (“piece, portion, slice”), from Old French gobon, gobet (“piece”). Cognate with English gobony (“line of alternating squares”).
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]gubbins pl (plural only)
- (obsolete) Fragments; parings; scraps (especially of fish).
- 1599, [Thomas] Nashe, Nashes Lenten Stuffe, […], London: […] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] […], →OCLC, page 73:
- [H]ough you hungerſtarued gubbins or offales of men, how thriue you, howe periſh you, [...]
- (British, informal) Assorted stuff, especially if of little value; tat.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:thingy, Thesaurus:trifle
- 2017 summer, Milla Jovovich, “My Movie Masterming: Resident Evil Special”, in Empire, number 337, page 135:
- I had to memorise so much dialogue that never makes it into the movie so I always have a plethora of extra gubbins I can't remember.
Noun
[edit]gubbins (plural gubbins)
- (UK, informal) Silly person; fool. [from 20th c.]
- 1916, Edward Frederic Benson, David Blaize[1], page 146:
- "Silly gubbins," she said. "You told me twice, and I was interested even the second time. […] "
Synonyms
[edit]- (silly person): See Thesaurus:fool
Further reading
[edit]Anagrams
[edit]Categories:
- English terms derived from Old French
- English 2-syllable words
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- en:People