Obscurities: Flumadiddle

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Wiktionary,  Flumadiddle(s) is something completely nonsensical or ridiculous; utter nonsense; cheap, worthless frills.   According to Dictionary.com, it is an Americanism that arose in the 1840s as a combination of flummery, meaning “complete nonsense,” and diddle, meaning “to fool with.”  It’s also the name for a savoury dish from the region around Cape Cod; click here to see the recipe.

I think it’s a word well worth rescuing from obscurity!  In fact, it’s probably more relevant than ever in our modern “culture” (I use that term cautiously, as what some people consider culture, others consider flumadiddle).  IMHO, flumadiddle could be applied to most television series, political speeches, internet “information”, and even many news articles.  So add it to your vocabulary, and have fun!

Obscure 1

8 Comments

Filed under Etymology, Grammar, History, Obscurities, Writing Prompt

8 responses to “Obscurities: Flumadiddle

  1. Splendiferous, ain’t it? 🙂

  2. Another great word! 🙂

  3. I practiced saying it several times and could’t help giggling.

  4. It’s a double whammy, isn’t it? Amusing and practical! 😉

  5. I fully intend to incorporate this excellent term into my speech repertoire.

  6. It’s a humdinger of a thingamajig, isn’t it? 😉

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