skimble-skambleadj.n.adv.
A. adj.
1. Confused, incoherent, nonsensical, rubbishy.In modern use only after the Shakespeare passage.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > confusion or disorder > [adjective]
confusec1384
yblent1426
intermellé1487
farraginary1538
puddled1559
confused1576
promiscuous1579
pell-mell1584
ravelleda1586
mingle-mangle1589
rumblingc1598
skimble-skamble1598
huddle1601
plundered1601
promiscual1602
jumbled1611
promiscous1656
bedevilled1755
helter-skelter1785
muddly1829
hugger-mugger1840
wildered1853
pied1870
deurmekaar1871
mixed-up1888
screwed-up1942
snafu1942
scrambled1951
untogether1969
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > [adjective]
tooma1250
beggarly1526
trumpery1576
balductum1577
skimble-skamble1598
nonsense1621
warbling1621
flim-flam1631
nonsensical1645
unsensical1692
fiddlecome1697
waffling1698
mataeological1716
flummery1749
water-gruelish1788
slip-sloppish1797
twaddling1804
twaddle1830
twaddly1841
fee-faw-fumish1846
poppycock1852
boshy1860
twaddlesome1865
moonshiny1880
cockalorum1881
tommyrotic1894
crappy1928
ballsy1942
farkakte1960
1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 iii. i. 150 Such a deale of skimble scamble stuffe, As puts me from my faith.
1630 J. Taylor Wks. ii. 111/2 Here's a sweet deale of scimble scamble stuffe.
1822 Ld. Byron Vision of Judgm. Pref. Hence all this ‘skimble-scamble stuff’ about ‘Satanic’.
1864 G. W. Dasent Jest & Earnest (1873) II. 69 He talks a deal of ‘skimble skamble’ stuff about ‘askance’.
1880 J. Ruskin Arrows of Chace II. 281 My belief is they scarcely sang a piece of pure Rossini all night, but had fitted in modern skimble~skamble tunes.
2. Accompanied by confusion or disorder.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > [adjective]
troublec1374
misorderlya1568
unorderly1578
luxate1597
incomposed1608
methodless1609
tumultuary1609
unordered1621
disorderly1632
higgledy-piggledy1676
rantum-scantum1695
throughother1720
rough and tumble1818
ramshackle1820
skimble-skamble1826
ahoo1828
disordinate1840
disorganic1841
ramshackly1883
rantum-scootum1885
tumultuarious1895
ragtime1917
inchoate1922
higgledya1953
shambolic1970
1826 in W. Hone Every-day Bk. (1827) II. 995 They skurry, In a skimble skamble hurry.
B. n.
Confused or worthless discourse. Also, writing of this nature.
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
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > obscurity > [noun] > confusion > confused or obscure piece of writing or discourse
obscurity1495
synchysis1577
skimble-skamble1619
fuzz1674
nebulaa1734
skew1890
1619 J. Taylor Kicksey Winsey sig. B7 He..askes..where's the wind..With such fine scimble scemble, spitter spatter.
1818 Ld. Byron Let. 1 June (1976) VI. 47 Did you read his skimble-skamble about (Wordsworth) being at the head of his own profession, in the eyes of those who followed it?
1855 J. L. Motley Rise Dutch Republic I. ii. ii. 311 After a good deal of skimble-skamble of this nature.
C. adv.
Confusedly; in confusion.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > confusion or disorder > [adverb]
pelly mellya1500
ribble-rabble?a1525
confusely1540
huddlea1555
confusedly1566
pell-mell1579
tag-rag1582
helter-skelter1593
promiscuously1593
pell-mell1596
confusively1599
mel-pella1600
promiscually1602
squimble-squamble1611
promiscuous1616
clutteringly1624
promiscously1635
perplexly1670
skimble-skamble1775
skimper-scamper1778
hodge-podge1848
hugger-mugger1880
rumble-jumble1887
muddledly1914
1775 J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang. Skimbleskamble (a cant word), in a wild wandering manner.
1845 S. Judd Margaret i. xvii. 162 The flakes shaded and mottled the sky, and fell twirling, pitching, skimble-scamble.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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adj.n.adv.1598