hoity-toity

English

Alternative forms

• hoity toity

Etymology

From the archaic verb hoit (“to play the fool; to behave thoughtlessly and frivolously”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˌhɔɪ.tiˈtɔɪ.ti/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪti

Adjective

hoity-toity (comparative hoity-toitier, superlative hoity-toitiest)

1. Pompous, self-important and snobbish; pretentious or affected, sometimes with the implication of displaying an air of ostentation or excessive fanciness
   • 2016, Liz Nugent, Lying In Wait, →ISBN, page 113:

     The other models were gas fun, though they were all a bit hoity-toity.

2. (obsolete) Giddy; merry; noisy.

Derived terms

• hoity-toitily
• hoity-toitiness

Translations

pompous

• Bulgarian: надменен (bg) (nadmenen), префърцунен (bg) (prefǎrcunen)
• German: etepetete (de)
• Polish: ą-ę
• Romanian: îngâmfat (ro), arogant (ro), încrezut (ro)

• Swedish: uppblåst (sv), pompös (sv), snobbig (sv)

Interjection

hoity-toity

1. (dated) Expressing surprise or disapprobation.
   • J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens: retold by May Byron for little people

     "Hoity-toity!" said the Chrysanthemum, "what is this? Who is it? Where is it?" So she had to come out from under the holly; and the young trees gathered round her, fussing and twittering, and asked each other what they had better do.