titivil

English

Alternative forms

• titifil

Etymology

From Titivillus, a demon said to introduce errors into the work of scribes. Used in medieval mystery plays, from which it entered common usage.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɪtɪvɪl/

Noun

titivil (plural titivils)

1. (obsolete) A mischievous gossip or a troublemaker.
   • 1546, John Heywood, The Proverbs of John Heywood‎^[1], London: George Bell and Sons, published 1874, page 40:

     There is no moe such titifyls in Englandes ground, / To hold with the hare and run with the hound.

   • 1548, Edward Hall, “The Trobleous Season of Kyng Henry the Sixt”, in Hall's Chronicle‎^[2], London: J. Johnson, et al., published 1809, page 173:

     For the deuill hymself, to set farther diuision betwene the Englishe and Frenche nacion did apparell certain catchepoules, and Parasites, cōmonly called titiuils and tale tellers, to sowe discord and dissencion, betwene the dukes of Bedford and Burgoyne […]

Synonyms

• (gossip): rumourmonger, talebearer; see also Thesaurus:gossiper
• (troublemaker): knave, scoundrel; see also Thesaurus:troublemaker

References

• John S[tephen] Farmer; W[illiam] E[rnest] Henley, compilers (1904) “titivil”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume VII, [London: […] Neill and Co.] […], →OCLC, page 138.