he-say-she-sayn.
/ˈhiːseɪˌʃiːseɪ/, U.S. /ˈhiˌseɪˈʃiˌseɪ/ U.S. colloquial (chiefly in African-American usage).
Hearsay; gossip; unsubstantiated rumour. Cf. he-said-she-said n.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > information > rumour > [noun]
speechc1000
wordOE
hearinga1300
opinion1340
talesa1375
famea1387
inklinga1400
slandera1400
noising1422
rumour?a1425
bruit1477
nickinga1500
commoninga1513
roarc1520
murmura1522
hearsay?1533
cry1569
scandal1596
vogue1626
discourse1677
sough1716
circulation1775
gossip1811
myth1849
breeze1879
sound1899
potin1922
dirt1926
rumble1929
skinny1938
labrish1942
lie and story1950
scam1964
he-say-she-say1972
factoid1973
ripple1977
goss1985
the mind > language > speech > conversation > [noun] > chatting or chat > gossiping > gossip
jowl?c1225
trattle1513
tittle-tattle1570
tattle1583
clatter1596
street web1614
town talk1642
street-threada1661
clash1685
fetch-fire1784
street yarn1800
gossip1811
village gossip1847
Russian scandal1861
chopsing1879
cooze1880
reportage1881
skeet1900
scuttlebutt gossip1901
pussy-talk1937
mauvais languec1945
comess1970
he-say-she-say1972
gyaff1975
skinder1979
goss1985
gist1990
1972 S. Hall Gentleman of Leisure Gloss. 192 He say-She say, a girl talking to another person about her personal business with a pimp.
1992 Re: Madonna was Tipper Gore? in alt.pagan (Usenet newsgroup) 17 Nov. You know, there's a rumor going around that Madonna and the..no, I better not... It's all he-say she-say anyhow.
1997 Tell them we are Rising viii. 126 Stuff like he-say, she-say, or I don't like that look you gave me, or she thinks she's better than me.
2003 M. Imes & S. McGee Skinny Women are Evil i. 1 We may have had a few choice words every now and then, but it was always after some stupid he say/she say bullshit.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1972