- Today's Word
Flibbertigibbet
[FLIB-er-tee-jib-it]
Definition
- (noun) A person who is excessively talkative, flighty, and prone to gossip. They are known for their rapid, often nonsensical chatter and their tendency to flit from one topic to another without much coherence or substance.
Example
The new hire’s constant stream of idle chatter and office gossip quickly earned her a reputation as the office flibbertigibbet, making it difficult for her colleagues to concentrate on their work.
Fun Fact
The word “flibbertigibbet” first appeared in the 15th century and is believed to have originated from a combination of the words “flibber,” meaning “to flap or flutter,” and “gibbet,” referring to a frivolous or chattering person. The term gained popularity in the 20th century after being featured in the song “Maria” from the musical “The Sound of Music,” where it was used to describe the main character’s lively and talkative nature. Despite its whimsical sound and amusing connotations, being labeled a flibbertigibbet is generally not considered a compliment, as it implies a lack of substance and a tendency to engage in frivolous or unproductive conversation.
(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.