fribblen.adj.
/ˈfrɪbl/, U.S. /ˈfrɪb(ə)l/ A. n.
1. A trifling, frivolous person, one not occupied in serious employment, a trifler.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious
pickstraw1580
Jack with the feather1581
fiddler1591
fribble1610
trifler1612
fribbler1712
toyer1814
frivolist1884
namby-pamby1885
frivoller1889
footler1891
frivol1959
1610 J. Healey tr. J. L. Vives in tr. St. Augustine Citie of God ix. xvii. 355 Do but leaue your fripples, and sticke to the fathers.
1664 J. Wilson Cheats i. iii. 9 A Company of Fribbles, enough to discredit any honest House in the World.
1771 J. Giles Misc. Poems 161 A nymph who can for me forego The fop, the fribble, and the beau.
1865 C. Merivale Hist. Romans under Empire (new ed.) VIII. lxiv. 128 The criminals they lash were at least no milksops in crime, no fribbles in vice.
1874 M. Clarke His Nat. Life (1875) I. i. xi. 162 Flirt, fribble, and shrew as she was.
1881 W. Besant & J. Rice Chaplain of Fleet II. iii. 42 Yonder little fribble..is a haberdasher from town, who pretends to be a Templar.
1912 D. H. Lawrence Let. 14 Nov. (1932) 76 William gives his sex to a fribble.
2. A trifling thing; also, a frivolous notion, idea, or characteristic.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > that which is unimportant > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious > notion
nugacitya1538
fribble1832
1832 W. Stephenson Coll. Local Poems, Songs, &c. 24 To supply his horse's rack He deem'd it but a fribble.
1874 J. S. Blackie On Self-culture 83 The fribbles, oddities, and monstrosities of humanity.
3. Frivolity, nonsense.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > emptiness or insubstantiality > frivolity or lack of seriousness
nugationc1450
nugacity1593
fiddling1622
frivolousnessa1631
nugality1676
futility1692
futileness1727
flippancy1746
frivolity1796
nugatoriness1853
frippery1855
fiddle1874
fribble1881
frivolling1882
fribblery1889
trifledom1903
1881 E. Mulford Republic of God ii. 31 (note) This life, that is not that of fribble or of crime, is not ephemeral.
B. adj.
Trifling, frivolous, ridiculous.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adjective] > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious
frivolous?1563
lusorious1619
lusory1653
fribbling1654
fribblish1768
fribble1798
nidgetty1798
lightweight1809
fidfad1830
frivolling1882
footling1888
1798 Brit. Critic Jan. 96 The superficial, trivial and frigid manner in which that fribble minister (Ministre de Boudoir) treated this important branch of administration.
1839 W. M. Thackeray Crit. Rev. in Wks. (1886) XXIII. 128 An illustration of some wretched story in some wretched fribble Annual.
1840 W. M. Thackeray Catherine i Lovely woman!..what lies and fribble nonsense canst thou make us listen to.
Compounds
fribble-like adj.; fribble-frabble n. nonsense.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > [noun]
magged talea1387
moonshine1468
trumperyc1485
foolishness1531
trash1542
baggage1545
flim-flam1570
gear1570
rubbisha1576
fiddle-faddle1577
stuff1579
fible-fable1581
balductum1593
pill1608
nonsense1612
skimble-skamble1619
porridge1642
mataeology1656
fiddle-come-faddle1663
apple sauce1672
balderdash1674
flummery1749
slang1762
all my eye1763
diddle-daddle1778
(all) my eye (and) Betty Martin1781
twaddle1782
blancmange1790
fudge1791
twiddle-twaddle1798
bothering1803
fee-faw-fum1811
slip-slop1811
nash-gab1816
flitter-tripe1822
effutiation1823
bladderdash1826
ráiméis1828
fiddlededee1843
pickles1846
rot1846
kelter1847
bosh1850
flummadiddle1850
poppycock1852
Barnum1856
fribble-frabble1859
kibosh1860
skittle1864
cod1866
Collyweston1867
punk1869
slush1869
stupidness1873
bilge-water1878
flapdoodle1878
tommyrot1880
ruck1882
piffle1884
flamdoodle1888
razzmatazz1888
balls1889
pop1890
narrischkeit1892
tosh1892
footle1894
tripe1895
crap1898
bunk1900
junk1906
quatsch1907
bilge1908
B.S.1912
bellywash1913
jazz1913
wash1913
bullshit?1915
kid-stakes1916
hokum1917
bollock1919
bullsh1919
bushwa1920
noise1920
bish-bosh1922
malarkey1923
posh1923
hooey1924
shit1924
heifer dust1927
madam1927
baloney1928
horse feathers1928
phonus-bolonus1929
rhubarb1929
spinach1929
toffeea1930
tomtit1930
hockey1931
phoney baloney1933
moody1934
cockalorum1936
cock1937
mess1937
waffle1937
berley1941
bull dust1943
crud1943
globaloney1943
hubba-hubba1944
pish1944
phooey1946
asswipe1947
chickenshit1947
slag1948
batshit1950
goop1950
slop1952
cack1954
doo-doo1954
cobbler1955
horse shit1955
nyamps1955
pony1956
horse manure1957
waffling1958
bird shit1959
codswallop1959
how's your father1959
dog shit1963
cods1965
shmegegge1968
pucky1970
taradiddle1970
mouthwash1971
wank1974
gobshite1977
mince1985
toss1990
arse1993
1822 T. Mitchell tr. Aristophanes Wasps in tr. Aristophanes Comedies II. 239 He with legs planted wide in this fashion, Fribble-like, swings his frame.
1859 G. A. Sala Twice round Clock (1861) 77 The innumerable whim~whams and fribble-frabble of fashion.
Derivatives
ˈfribbledom n. the spirit or behaviour of a fribble.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious > behaviour of
fribbledom1844
1844 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 55 557 Such as the Quarterly informed us last year, in a fit of fribbledom, were worthy the neat little crowquills of lady-authors.
ˈfribbleism n. the quality characteristic of a fribble, frivolity.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious > quality of
fribbleism1758
1758 Phanor in Goldsmith's Wks. (1885) IV. 429 He [Shakespear] disdained the fribleism of the French, in adopting the blemishes with equal passion as the beauties of the ancients.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
fribblev.
/ˈfrɪbl/, U.S. /ˈfrɪb(ə)l/ a. transitive. To falter, stammer (out); also intransitive with through.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > defective or inarticulate speech > utter inarticulately [verb (transitive)] > utter hesitantly or stammer
hem1553
mant1568
stammer1587
to hack out1602
stammer1608
fribblea1627
lisp1627
stutter1655
hesitate1734
to falter forth or out1762
hobble1813
falter1851
a1627 T. Middleton Mayor of Quinborough (1661) v. i. 69 They speak but What they list of it, and fribble out the rest.
1640 R. Brome Antipodes sig. D2v If he [sc. the actor] can frible through, and move delight In others, I [sc. the author] am pleas'd.
a1652 R. Brome Madd Couple Well Matcht ii, in Wks. (1873) I. 26 You haue often muttered and fribled some intentions towards me.
b. intransitive. To falter, totter in walking. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > progressive motion > walking > walk, tread, or step [verb (intransitive)] > unsteadily
wiggle?c1225
walter1399
falterc1400
stammerc1400
dotterc1475
stavera1500
stumblea1500
reel1529
scamblec1571
halper1596
totter1602
folder1607
wamble1611
to make a Virginia fence1671
wandle1686
fribble1709
rock1718
stoit1719
stoiter1724
swagger1724
doddle1761
stotter1781
toit1786
doiter1793
stot1801
dodder1819
twaddle1823
teeter1844
shoggle1884
welter1884
warple1887
whemmel1895
1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 49. ⁋8 The poor Creature fribles in his gate.
1848 J. Craig New Universal Dict. Fribble..to totter like a weak person.
2.
a. intransitive. In early use, to act aimlessly or feebly, to busy oneself to no purpose; to ‘fiddle’. Now (exc. dialect) only in strongly contemptuous sense: To behave frivolously, trifle.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > be unimportant [verb (intransitive)] > behave in unimportant way > behave frivolously
fribble1640
frivol1866
1640 R. Brome Sparagus Garden ii. ii As true as I live he fribles with mee sir Hugh.
1664 S. Butler Hudibras: Second Pt. ii. iii. 134 Though cheats, yet more intelligible, Then those that with the Stars do fribble.
1751 S. Richardson Clarissa (ed. 3) VI. lxxviii. 341 He fribbled with his waistcoat buttons, as if he had been telling his beads.
1854 W. M. Thackeray Newcomes (1855) II. iii. 27 Not as you treat these fools that are fribbling round about you.
1892 I. Zangwill Big Bow Myst. 60 Who's fribbling now, you or me, Cantercot?
1895 W. Rye Gloss. Words E. Anglia Fribble, to fuss about.
b. transitive. to fribble away: to throw away or part with lightly, fool away. to fribble out (nonce-use): to portray with purposeless minuteness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > relinquishing > squandering or prodigality > squander [verb (transitive)]
forspendc893
scatter1154
dispend1303
waste1340
misspendc1390
miswastec1400
consumec1425
waste1474
profund1527
lasha1535
prodige1538
lavish1542
to play away1562
riot1566
embezzle1578
dilapidate1590
squander1593
confound1598
to make ducks and drakes of or withc1600
prodigalize1611
profuse1611
squander1611
paddle1616
bezzle1617
to run out of ——1622
to piss away1628
prodigal1628
decoct1629
to bangle (away)1632
debauch1632
deboise1632
to fribble away1633
to fool out1635
to run outa1640
to fiddle away1667
slattera1681
dissipate1682
to play off1693
duck-and-drake1700
liquidate1702
sparkle away1703
waster1821
befool1861
to frivol away1866
to play (at) duck and drake with1872
to fling away1873
mislive1887
slather1904
mucker1928
profligate1938
peter1956
spaff2002
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > misuse > [verb (transitive)] > waste
spilla1000
scatter1154
aspilla1250
rospa1325
waste1340
spend1390
consumec1425
waste1474
miswenda1500
forsumea1510
to cast away1530
to throw away1561
embezzle1578
squander1593
palter1595
profuse1611
squander1611
ravel1614
sport1622
to fool away1628
to stream out1628
to fribble away1633
sweal1655
frisk1665
to fiddle away1667
wantonize1673
slattera1681
swattle1681
drivel1686
swatter1690
to muddle away1707
squander1717
sot1746
slattern1747
meisle1808
fritter1820
waster1821
slobber1837
to cut to waste1863
fringe1863
potter1883
putter1911
profligate1938
to piddle away1942
haemorrhage1978
spaff2002
1633 J. Shirley Wittie Faire One iv. ii Here is twenty pieces; you shall fribble them away at the Exchange presently.
1827 C. Lamb Let. 11 June (1935) III. 97 Rembrandt has painted only Belshazzar and a courtier or two..not fribbled out a mob of fine folks.
1879 J. McCarthy Hist. Own Times I. x. 205 While Lord Melbourne and his Whig colleagues..were fribbling away their popularity.
1887 G. M. Fenn Master of Cerem. xii Don't fribble away the season.
3. To frizz or frizzle (a wig). Scottish.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > beautification of the person > beautification of the hair > practice of wearing artificial hair > furnish with artificial hair [verb (transitive)] > curl or frizz
flounce1672
fribble1756
1756 [see fribbled adj. at Derivatives].
1822 J. Galt Steam-boat xii. 297 The minister had a blockhead whereon he was wont to dress and fribble his wig.
Derivatives
ˈfribbled adj.
ΚΠ
1756 W. Toldervy Hist. Two Orphans III. 106 It was a severe punishment to the fribbled jessamy waiter.
ˈfribbler n. a trifler.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious
pickstraw1580
Jack with the feather1581
fiddler1591
fribble1610
trifler1612
fribbler1712
toyer1814
frivolist1884
namby-pamby1885
frivoller1889
footler1891
frivol1959
1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 288. ⁋2 A Fribbler is one who professes Rapture and Admiration for the Woman to whom he addresses, and dreads nothing so much as her Consent.
ˈfribblery n. frivolity.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > emptiness or insubstantiality > frivolity or lack of seriousness
nugationc1450
nugacity1593
fiddling1622
frivolousnessa1631
nugality1676
futility1692
futileness1727
flippancy1746
frivolity1796
nugatoriness1853
frippery1855
fiddle1874
fribble1881
frivolling1882
fribblery1889
trifledom1903
1889 T. Wright Chalice of Carden xxxiii. 227 Why this waste of time, this wronging of self, this reduction to a condition of fribblery?
ˈfribbling n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adjective] > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious
frivolous?1563
lusorious1619
lusory1653
fribbling1654
fribblish1768
fribble1798
nidgetty1798
lightweight1809
fidfad1830
frivolling1882
footling1888
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > that which is unimportant > insubstantial > frivolous or not serious
fribbling1654
frivolism1778
featherweight1812
frivolitya1832
fandangle1835
frivol1903
tiddlywinks1919
1654 R. Whitlock Ζωοτομία 474 The gingling Eare, or Fancy..may have Patterns exceeding ordinary Imitation, or Friblings of Wit.
1656 R. Fletcher tr. Martial Epigrams iii. lxiii, in Ex Otio Negotium 27 He then that's pretty's but a fribbling fool.
a1680 Earl of Rochester Poems (1702) 129 And fribling for free speaking does mistake.
1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) A Fribbling Question.
1873 H. Kingsley Oakshott xli. 278 He had been writing fribbling poetry.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1610v.a1627