| 释义 |
titter-tottern.adv. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymon: totter v. Etymology: A reduplication (with vowel variation) of totter v. Compare totter v. 1c and later titter v.1 Compare also teeter-totter n.In regional use showing alteration variously after cum prep. (in the β. forms), my adj. (in the γ. forms), a conj. (in the δ. forms), and teeter v. (in the ε. forms). Now chiefly English regional. A. n. 1. society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > children's game > other children's games > [noun] > see-sawing 1530 J. Palsgrave 282/1 Tytter totter, a play for chyldre, balenchoeres. 1607 R. C. tr. H. Estienne 266 He played with a little boy at titter-totter. 1785 F. Grose Titter tatter, the childish amusement of riding upon the two ends of a plank, poised upon a prop put underneath its center, called also see saw. 1887 W. Rye xi. 95 We..tried quoits, and ‘tittem-a-tauter’, as the natives call the pastime of see-saw. 1934 20 Dec. 10/2 A viscous tune about the ancient sport of titter-totter which..is too treacly for drier palates. society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > see-saw > [noun] 1790 F. Grose (ed. 2) Merry-totter, a see-saw, or board poised on a prop; called also a titter-tatter, for children. North. 1893 J. Salisbury Titter-a-totter, a see-saw. 1972 3 Apr. 4/4 Other equipment purchased were two slides, titter-totter,..tetherball and tennis nets. 2013 @ZoeSprake 30 May in twitter.com (O.E.D. Archive) [Norfolk] I'd quite like to stay on the fence until the referendum, really. Feels like a tittermatorter sometimes, though. the world > movement > motion in specific manner > irregular movement or agitation > unsteady movement > [noun] > reeling or staggering > one who reels 1699 B. E. Titter-totter, who is upon the Reel, at every jog, or Blast of Wind. 1785 F. Grose Titter tatter, one reeling, and ready to fall at the least touch. †B. adv.the world > time > change > changeableness > [adverb] 1673 J. Eachard 63 The alternate appetite (as you call it) being perpetual, a mans mind can never possibly be seised on, but must go titter totter, swing swang, to the Worlds end. 1725 N. Bailey tr. Erasmus 35 Don't stand titter, totter, first standing upon one Foot, and then upon another. 1763 C. Churchill iv. 182 Having, as usual, said his pray'rs, Go titter, totter, to the stairs. 1889 E. Peacock (ed. 2) Titter-totter, (1) in a state of unstable equilibrium; (2) in hesitation of mind, or wavering. a1907 (1913) 4 320 [Sussex] Poor fellows all stood titter totter, Casting lots which of them should die. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022). titter-totterv.Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: titter-totter n. Etymology: < titter-totter n. the world > movement > motion in specific manner > alternating or reciprocating motion > oscillation > oscillate [verb (intransitive)] > see-saw a1825 R. Forby (1830) Titter, to ride on each end of a balanced plank. Otherwise ‘titter-cum-totter’. 1864 Titter-totter, to seesaw. 1897 Jan. 146 They titter-cum-totter. 1939 30 Oct. 4/1 We are pleased that such a decisive majority of Senators had the same view, though a few titter-tottered a while and came near falling off the fence of common sense. 2010 @HomeServerLand 9 Sept. in twitter.com (O.E.D. Archive) We titter-tottered back and forth whether we should get an iPad. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.adv.1530v.a1825 |
