flibbertigibbet
/ˌflɪbətiˈdʒɪbɪt/
Etymology
From late Middle English [Term?] first attested 1549 probably imitative of nonsense uttered by gossips. Usage as an imp or fiend and name of the Devil from around 1603.
Alternatively (but far less likely), an alteration of flibbergib (“toady, sycophant”), derived potentially from an Old Norse *fleipra-geipa(re) (“babbler of nonsense”). The hypothetical Old Norse term would have been a compound of fleipra (a variant of fleipa (“to babble, tattle”)), and geipa (“to talk nonsense, to boast”) or geipare (“one who speaks nonsense, braggart”). fleipa is notably the ancestor to the flip- part of the English word flippant. It is of note that the original meaning of flibbergib was “chatterer”.
flibbertigibbet means An offbeat, skittish person; especially said of a young woman. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
Why this word is great
FLIBBERTIGIBBET — [Noun] A flighty or frivolous person, especially a young woman, regarded as silly, irresponsible, or overly talkative; historically also an imp or fiend. From late Middle English, first attested in 1549, probably imitative of nonsense uttered by gossips; usage as an imp or fiend and name of the Devil dates from around 1603. Alternatively, less likely, an alteration of flibbergib ("chatterer"), potentially derived from a hypothetical Old Norse *fleipra-geipa(re) ("babbler of nonsense"). Unlike "gossip" (which fixates on others’ secrets) or "imp" (which clings to the diabolical), "flibbertigibbet" skitters between human folly and supernatural mischief. It is the girl who flits from topic to topic like a sparrow in a hedgerow, the laughter that rings too loud and too long in a quiet room, the wayward spark that refuses to catch fire—a reminder that some spirits are too light to ever settle, and too bright to ever burn.
noun
- An offbeat, skittish person; especially said of a young woman.“All this responsibility at such an early age made her a bitchy flibbertigibbet.”
- A flighty person; someone regarded as silly, irresponsible, or scatterbrained, especially someone who chatters or gossips.““Thou flibbertigibbet,” cried Catwezle, who had been listening, “all is clear as springwater. This Rapkyn was a sorcerer!””
- An imp, a fiend.