- Today's Word
Fiddlesticks
[FID-l-stiks]
Definition
- (noun) An exclamation used to express mild frustration, annoyance, or disbelief. It can also be used to dismiss something as nonsense or trivial. The term is often considered a polite or playful substitute for stronger expletives.
Example
“Fiddlesticks!” exclaimed Grandma, as she realized she had forgotten to add sugar to the cake batter, forcing her to start the recipe all over again.
Fun Fact
The origin of “fiddlesticks” as an exclamation is somewhat unclear, but it is believed to have first appeared in the early 19th century. One theory suggests that it might be derived from the phrase “fiddle-de-dee,” a nonsense expression used to dismiss something as trivial or unimportant, which itself could be related to the earlier phrase “fiddle-faddle,” meaning trifling or nonsense. Another theory proposes that “fiddlesticks” could be a reference to the act of playing the fiddle (violin) poorly, thus dismissing something as unimportant or trivial, like a poorly played tune. Over time, “fiddlesticks” has become a mild and often humorous exclamation, used to express frustration or disbelief without resorting to harsher language, making it a favorite among children and those who prefer to keep their language family-friendly.
(adjective) Lacking substance, interest, or mature thought; naive and simplistic in a way that reveals inexperience.
The critic dismissed the debut novel as jejune — competently written, technically adequate, and utterly devoid of anything worth remembering.
Jejune derives from the Latin jejunus, meaning “fasting” or “empty” — literally describing a stomach that has not been fed. The same root gives us jejunum, the section of the small intestine named for its tendency to be found empty after death. It entered English in the 17th century carrying its literal sense of emptiness before acquiring its figurative meaning of something intellectually or creatively hollow — content that has the form of nourishment without any of the substance.