rowdy-dowv.
/ˈraʊdɪdaʊ/, U.S. /ˈraʊdiˌdaʊ/ intransitive. To be noisy or boisterous.In quot. 1852 with the sense ‘making a noise on their drums’; cf. row dow dow n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > violent behaviour > behave violently or use force [verb (intransitive)] > act roughly or boisterously
rounce?a1500
rantipole1650
rowdy1823
roughhouse1900
rowdy-dow1966
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > loudness > confused sound > [verb (intransitive)] > rowdy noise
rowdy1823
rowdy-dow1966
1852 L. G. F. March Walk into N. Spain xvi. 360 A company of infantry and three drummers, rowdy-dow-dowing with all their might, marching quickly round the ring.]
1966 T. Pynchon Crying of Lot 49 v. 110 She collided with a gang of guided tourists come rowdy-dowing out of a Volkswagen bus.
1997 T. Pynchon Mason & Dixon 576 To-night, Tom, you must be sober and alone with your Soul, not out rowdy-dowing.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
rowdy-dowint.n.adj.
/ˈraʊdɪdaʊ/, U.S. /ˈraʊdiˌdaʊ/ A. int.
Representing the sound of the beating of a drum. Now rare.Originally used esp. to represent a spoken or sung imitation of the sound of a military drum.
ΚΠ
?1780 Festival of Momus (new ed.) 129 The young Irish Captain, the husband for me. With a rub a dub, row de dow.
1807 ‘Queery Queerum’ Ashburner's Vocal & Poetic Repository 178 She lov'd a bold Dragoon, with his long sword, saddle, bridle. Whack! row de dow, dow.
1866 G. Nieritz Young Recruit xi. 100 Beat the tattoo, softly at first. Row de dow, row de dow, dow.
1971 Atlanta World 21 May 4/8 The big drum thundered rowdy-dow!
B. n.
1. The sound of the beating of a drum; an instance of this. Now rare.
ΚΠ
1763 Court of Comus lxx. 46 May they and their commanders live happy many years! To hear the tow, row, row di, dow di dow of the British grenadiers.]
1783 Brit. Mag. & Rev. Nov. 381/2 How happy the soldier who..pays all his debts with the roll of his drums. With a row-de-dow, &c.
1840 R. H. Horne in K. Meadows Heads of People I. 67 Bloating out his cheeks and stomach..he ejaculated a ‘row-de-dow’ as semi-chorus to the ‘rub-a-dub’ of his belaboured instrument.
1859 Titan 28 569/1 The skin which covers the drum-head..is relaxed, and the bold rowdy-dow becomes the husky and muffled ruff-duff-duff.
1871 J. Paterson Autobiogr. Reminisc. 186 Frequently, having fallen into a sleep, the ‘row-de-dow’ of the morning drum, at five o'clock, suddenly aroused me.
1947 Billboard 1 Feb. 192/1 (advt.) Those ‘Talking Drums’ with that Row-de-dow the juke feeders love.
2. Noise, din; uproar, disturbance; an instance of this, a row. Also: (Irish English) a noisy, informal celebration.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > loudness > confused sound > [noun] > rowdy noise
riotc1440
racket1565
obstreperousness1655
rattle1688
rowdyism1838
rowdy-dow1845
rowdiness1847
rooty-toot1852
racketiness1939
1845 N. P. Willis Dashes at Life with Free Pencil iv. 171 There has been a terrible rowdydow in the operatic green-room.
1885 Referee 8 Mar. 5/1 With regard to the Prince and Princess's visit to Ireland, the ‘row-de-dow’—that is, we believe, the Hibernian term for it—which took place [etc.].
1895 H. C. Prince Story of Christine Rochefort xiii. 217 Then began a rowdydow. ‘Green is dull,’ says he; ‘blue is old-fashioned,’ says she.
1931 E. Ferber Amer. Beauty iv. 77 What's this noise and clatter and row-de-dow so a body can't rest?
1987 V. Caprani Vulgar Verse & Variations 29 ‘Is it fanciful and formal?’.. ‘Ah dhivil the bit of formal—more of a “rowdy-dow”.’
1997 T. Pynchon Mason & Dixon 56 A foolish rowdy-dow over some Geometers' Abstraction that cannot even be seen.
C. adj. (chiefly attributive).
Boisterous; rowdy, noisy; (also) relating to or creating a rowdy-dow (see sense B.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > violent behaviour > [adjective] > rough > rough or boisterous
robustious1548
boisterous1568
rory-tory1683
randy1723
rumgumptious1781
lungeous1787
rowdy dowdy1816
roaritorious1821
riproarious1830
rough and tumble1831
rowdy1832
rowdy-dow1832
tear-brass1880
knockabout1885
rory-cum-tory1893
roughhouse1896
1832 Deb. Congr. U.S. 13 Mar. (1833) 2128 The rub-a-dub and row-de-dow excitement.
1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal o' Firthmains 298 And how 's all yer rowdydow rapparee brothers, The joy and delight of me eyes.
1887 Sc. Leader 19 Oct. 4 He seems to have braced himself for a superior effort in his favourite row-de-dow line.
1905 C. A. Nation Use & Need of Life (Poetry section) 197 Get your name blazoned in all of the papers, By your rowdydow talk and unwomanly capers.
1946 Time 22 July 40 This rowdy-dow roundup is the wild-cow milking contest.
2000 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 5 Mar. (Books section) C16 A rowdy-dow corporate type (although a likable one).
Derivatives
ΚΠ
1832 Countess Granville Lett. (1894) II. 130 I think there will be a great row-de-dowing amongst them all.
1854 Anglo-Amer. Mag. July 90/2 I and the Major were standing at the Parliament Buildings, and..I saw the forest o' torches advancing, and heard the row-de-dowing o' the drums.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > loudness > confused sound > [adjective] > rowdy noise
riotous?1456
obstreperousc1600
roaring1631
rory-tory1683
rackety1773
rowing1812
rowdyish1837
rowdy-dowy1852
rorty1899
rootin' tootin'1901
1852 J. Labern Pop. Comic Song Bk. 75 While Spifflicating Charlie Coker and Jane of the Hatchet-face divine, Just did the Rowdydowy Poker.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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v.1966int.n.adj.?1780