noun
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a talkative silly person
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foolish talk; nonsense
Etymology
Origin of blatherskite
Explanation
Blatherskite is silly, babbling speech that doesn't really mean anything. If you know someone who talks just to hear his own voice, you can call what he says blatherskite. The person you're sitting beside on a long flight might spout blatherskite the whole time, or you might gradually realize a political speech is nothing but blatherskite. In both cases, the words don't really mean much, and there are far too many of them. Blatherskite became US slang in the early 19th century from bletherskate, or "foolish fellow," featured in the Scottish song "Maggie Lauder," which was popular with Continental soldiers during the American Revolution.
Vocabulary lists containing blatherskite
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1922, there died Senator Thomas E. Watson of Georgia, able blatherskite, onetime running mate of Presidential runner-up William Jennings Bryan.
From Time Magazine Archive
After New York Freelance Author Carl Bakal published his celebrated antigun tract, The Right to Bear Arms, N.R.A. members wrote him by the hundreds; among the friendlier salutations were "poltroon," "blatherskite" and "Communist and pervert."
From Time Magazine Archive
Most of those views, like his language�"marplot," "whilst," "burthen," "blatherskite," "milch cows" �have a 19th century texture.
From Time Magazine Archive
We elbow our way through the pressing, distressing multitudes, following Ahmed Bey into the Mosque, while the Army Officer mounts a platform in the court and dispenses to the crowd there of his Turkish blatherskite.
From The Book of Khalid by Rihani, Ameen Fares
The thing becomes a hodge-podge, a mixture of drama, melodrama, the circus, the pantomime, with a strong flavouring of blatherskite.
From Old Scores and New Readings Discussions on Music & Certain Musicians by Runciman, John F.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
