- Today's Word
Oodles
[OO-duls]
Definition
- (noun) An informal term meaning a very large amount or quantity of something. It’s often used to express an abundance or excess in a playful or exaggerated manner.
Example
After winning the lottery, Sarah suddenly had oodles of money to spend on her dream vacation around the world.
Fun Fact
The origin of “oodles” is somewhat mysterious, but it’s believed to have emerged in American English in the 1860s. Some linguists speculate that it might be related to the word “kit and caboodle,” a phrase meaning “the whole lot,” or possibly derived from “boodle,” a slang term for money or a large amount. The repetitive “oo” sound gives it a playful, almost childlike quality, which contributes to its informal and lighthearted usage. Despite its colloquial nature, “oodles” has found its way into various forms of media and everyday speech as a colorful way to describe abundance.
(adjective) Sedate, respectable, and unadventurous; resistant to change or excitement; marked by settled, even dull, conventionality.
The new curator’s bold acquisitions rattled the museum’s staid board of trustees, who had grown comfortable with decades of cautious, predictable programming.