piffle · noun — nonsense, foolish talk. It carries an Arena rating of 1807, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, piffle ranks #1,466 of 17,134 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,562 of 17,171 for Funniest Words, #1,681 of 17,134 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,140 of 17,144 for Most Malleable Words.
piffle is pronounced /ˈpɪf.əl/.
Why “piffle” is a great word
Piffle is trivial nonsense or foolish talk, or the act of engaging in it. Of unknown origin, first attested in 1847; perhaps a blend of 'piddle' (to deal in trifles) and 'trifle', or from 'puff' (onomatopoeia for a breath of air) with the diminutive suffix '-le'. Unlike drivel, which suggests a tedious, insipid flow, or balderdash, which implies pretentious and jumbled extravagance, piffle is nonsense of a lighter, more trivial sort. It is the hollow clink of a teaspoon stirred in an empty cup, the rustle of committee minutes read aloud to no one listening, the insubstantial puff of breath after a child’s pretend swordfight—the small, deflating disappointments that accumulate like dust, neither tragic enough to mourn nor substantial enough to brush away.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Unknown, 1847. Perhaps blend of piddle + trifle, perhaps puff (“(onomatopoeia, puff of air)”) + -le (“diminutive”).
noun
- Nonsense, foolish talk.e.g.“The wafflier the piffle, the more sharply Mr Nicholson wields his skewer.” — 2008 November 27, “Walking: More than gadding about”, in The Economist:
verb
- To act or speak in a futile, ineffective, or nonsensical manner.
- To waste, to fritter away.
- To be squeamish or delicate.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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