tarradiddle
/ˈtæ.ɹə.dɪ.dəl/
tarradiddle means A trivial lie, a fib.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, tarradiddle ranks #2,308 of 14,431 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,374 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words, #2,517 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,580 of 14,456 for The Improbable.
tarradiddle is pronounced /ˈtæ.ɹə.dɪ.dəl/.
Why “tarradiddle” is a great word
A petty lie or piece of pretentious nonsense. Of uncertain origin; perhaps derived from 'diddle' (meaning to cheat or swindle). Unlike a 'falsehood', which is any broad untruth, or a 'fabrication', which implies a deliberate and serious construction, a tarradiddle is a trifling fib or a bit of silly bombast. It is the fisherman's claim of a catch twice the size, the aunt's invented titled connection to explain the silver, the dinner guest pronouncing knowingly upon wine he cannot distinguish from vinegar—a small, human effort to gild a mundane reality, the lie told not to wound but to ornament.
Etymology
Perhaps derived from diddle (“to cheat”).
noun
- A trivial lie, a fib.“"I dare say my nephew told you a good many tarradiddles in his time. Oh, yes, a good many, eh? He was always a liar. What, now, did he say of me? Tell me, now."”
- Silly talk or writing; humbug.“Of course, that's all taradiddle; he lies like a horse, for I know this Dushkin, he is a pawnbroker and a receiver of stolen goods […]”
Words closest in meaning
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