whittie-whattien.
/ˈwɪtɪwɒti/, /ˈhwɪtɪhwɒti/, U.S. /ˈ(h)wɪdiˌ(h)wɑdi/, Scottish English /ˈhwɪtɪhwɔtɪ/ Scottish and northern dialect.
Vague or undecided talk or statement; indecision, shilly-shallying; a frivolous excuse.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > empty, idle talk > [noun]
windc1290
trotevalea1300
follyc1300
jangle1340
jangleryc1374
tongue1382
fablec1384
clapa1420
babbling?c1430
clackc1440
pratinga1470
waste?a1475
clattera1500
trattle1513
babble?a1525
tattlea1529
tittle-tattlea1529
chatc1530
babblery1532
bibble-babble1532
slaverings1535
trittle-trattle1563
prate?1574
babblement1595
pribble-prabble1595
pribble1603
morologya1614
pibble-pabblea1616
sounda1616
spitter-spatter1619
argology1623
vaniloquence1623
vaniloquy1623
drivelling1637
jabberment1645
blateration1656
onology1670
whittie-whattiea1687
stultiloquence1721
claver1722
blether1786
havera1796
jaunder1796
havering1808
slaver1825
yatter1827
bugaboo1833
flapdoodle1834
bavardage1835
maunder1835
tattlement1837
slabber1840
gup1848
faddle1850
chatter1851
cock1851
drivel1852
maundering1853
drooling1854
windbaggery1859
blither1866
javer1869
mush1876
slobber1886
guff1888
squit1893
drool1900
macaroni1924
jive1928
natter1943
shtick1948
old talk1956
yack1958
yackety-yack1958
ole talk1964
Haigspeak1981
a1687 R. McWard Επαγωνισμοι (1723) 363 The Sense and Substance of all this Whittie Whattie..will be only, O be quiet [etc.].
1692 ‘J. Curate’ Sc. Presbyterian Eloquence iii. 110 Criticks with their frim frams and whytie whaties, may imagine a hundred reasons.
1808 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Whitie-whaties, silly pretences;..frivolous excuses.
Derivatives
whittie-whattie v. (intransitive) to be undecided, to shilly-shally; also, to speak low or secretly, to mutter, whisper.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > manner of speaking > speak in a particular manner [verb (intransitive)] > whisper
whisperc950
roundOE
tutel?c1225
whistera1382
mumc1390
runka1500
susurr1529
whista1555
susurrate1623
rewhisper1753
cutter1781
whittie-whattie1821
1821 W. Scott Pirate I. vi. 136 ‘What are ye whittie whattieing about, ye gowk,’ said his gentle sister, who suspected the tenor of his murmurs.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.a1687