tiquismiquis

Spanish

Alternative forms

• tiquis miquis

Etymology

Derived from Medieval Latin tichi michi, variant of tibi mihi "for you, for me", a common expression in petty disputes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tikisˈmikis/ [t̪i.kizˈmi.kis]
• Rhymes: -ikis
• Syllabification: ti‧quis‧mi‧quis

Adjective

tiquismiquis (invariable)

1. squeamish

   Synonyms: quisquilloso, escrupuloso, remirado, melindroso, delicado

   Él es muy tiquismiquis con la comida

   He is very squeamish with food

2. (by extension) fussy, detail oriented, thoughtful, thoughty, perfectionist, fastidious, finicky, meticulous, precise, exact

   Synonyms: quisquilloso, perfeccionista, meticuloso

Noun

tiquismiquis m (plural tiquismiquis)

1. a squeamish person
2. a fusspot; fussy person
3. finickiness
4. exaggerated courtesies, affected mannerisms

Further reading

• “tiquismiquis”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “tiquismiquis”, in Diccionario Etimológico Castellano En Línea [Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Chile: accessed at deChile.net, 2001–2026