fiddle-de-dee

or fid·dle·de·dee, fid·dle·dee·dee

[ fid-l-di-dee ]

interjection

(used to express irritation, dismissive indifference, or scorn.)

Origin of fiddle-de-dee

1775–85; fiddle + -de- (reduplication prefix) + (Tweedle)dee (in obsolete sense “fiddler”)

Words Nearby fiddle-de-dee

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fiddle-de-dee in a sentence

“fiddle-de-dee about a handsome highwayman,” said Aunt Deb, in a scornful tone.
Dick Cheveley | W. H. G. Kingston
The builders thought this boast a fiddle-de-dee, and invited the musician to fiddle away to his heart's content.
The Telephone | A. E. Dolbear
fiddle-de-dee—I can't sleep, and the chickens are as lively as bed-bugs.
Peter Parley's Own Story | Samuel G. Goodrich
But to fancy as them as has got 'em will part is dashed fiddle-de-dee.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 98, February 22nd, 1890 | Various
Lizzie was in the room—the parlour where his mother had told him “fiddle-de-dee!”
Caught in a Trap | John C. Hutcheson

British Dictionary definitions for fiddle-de-dee

fiddle-de-dee

fiddlededee or fiddledeedee

/ (ˌfɪdəldɪˈdiː) /

interjection

rare an exclamation of impatience, disbelief, or disagreement

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse