fuddle-duddle
9.9
A silly short phrase people say when annoyed instead of swearing
- noun
- NSFW
:
tonterías
- When she heard his ridiculous excuse, she simply replied, "Oh, fuddle-duddle!"
Examples
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She threw her hands up in frustration and exclaimed, "Fuddle-duddle! I can't believe this is happening!"
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Instead of taking the discussion seriously, he just said, "Fuddle-duddle! That's nonsense!"
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So "fuddle-duddle."
Blog text (8)
Synonyms
faddle
vsfuddle-duddle
2
9.9
A small unimportant fuss that wastes time
is used to express annoyance or to replace offensive language casually
1
9.9
Silly, unimportant talk that wastes time
is aimed at dismissive annoyance or as a euphemism for offensive words
9.9
An old-fashioned word people say to show disbelief or annoyance
is used more generally as a dismissive or euphemistic nonsensical remark
Surface Forms
fuddle-duddle singular
fuddle-duddles plural
Etymology
Fuddle-duddle is a playful made-up phrase, formed from fuddle and duddle, used as a 'polite' or 'nonsense' way to show annoyance instead of saying a rude word. One popular story says Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau made the phrase famous in the 1970s, which is why fuddle-duddle today means a dismissive or evasive remark rather than a real insult.