kiddy fiddler
- noun
- /ˈkɪdi ˈfɪdlə/
- Offensive
- He was ostracised by the community after rumours spread that he was a kiddy fiddler.
Examples
-
The tabloid described the suspect as a notorious kiddy fiddler who had evaded arrest for years.
-
Using the term kiddy fiddler in conversation can be deeply hurtful and is considered highly offensive.
-
The police arrested a kiddy fiddler in the neighborhood.
-
Parents are worried about a kiddy fiddler lurking near the playground.
-
The police arrested a man suspected of being a kiddy fiddler after reports of his behavior emerged.
-
In the movie, the villain was portrayed as a kiddy fiddler, highlighting the seriousness of his crimes.
-
Communities often rally together to protect children from threats like a kiddy fiddler in their neighborhood.
Synonyms
An adult who is sexually attracted to children
A person who sexually abuses children
A person who is sexually attracted to children
Surface Forms
Morphology
kiddy + fiddler
Although 'kiddy' clearly denotes a child, 'fiddler' is normally understood as a violin player and does not transparently convey sexual abuse. The sense of 'fiddle' meaning 'to molest' is slang/colloquial and unpredictable for a B1 learner, so the overall derogatory idiomatic meaning is not derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Kiddy fiddler likely comes from joining kiddy, meaning 'child', and fiddler, from the verb 'to fiddle' which can mean to touch or handle something. One popular story says the image is of someone who secretly 'fiddles' with children, so the phrase came to mean 'a person who harms children sexually' and is very offensive.