ribaldry

American  

[rib-uhl-dree, rahy-buhl-dree] / ˈrɪb əl dri, ˈraɪ bəl dri /

noun

1. ribald character, as of language; scurrility.

2. ribald speech.

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ribaldry British  

/ ˈrɪbəldrɪ /

noun

1. ribald language or behaviour

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Etymology

Origin of ribaldry

1300–50; Middle English ribaudrie < Old French. See ribald, -ry

Explanation

Ribaldry is a kind of humor that's slightly inappropriate or off-color. You might want to keep your friends' ribaldry in check if your sweet old grandmother suddenly shows up at your house. When people tell bawdy or vulgar jokes (like bathroom humor, or jokes about sex), that's ribaldry. Imagine a rowdy sailors' bar or even a scene in a Shakespeare comedy, and there's bound to be some ribaldry. This noun comes to us by way of the adjective ribald, "bawdy or lewd," from the Old French ribaut, "rogue or scoundrel."

Example Sentences

Awkward bits of brotherly rivalry or ribaldry go on for far, far too long, and any vitality is strangely subdued and muted.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2017

That was apparently also just more mischievous ribaldry from Donald “Lenny Bruce Reincarnated” Trump.

From Slate • May 25, 2017

For all its verbal ribaldry, “Neighbors 2” veers toward a near-puritanical wholesomeness.

From The New Yorker • May 20, 2016

Often I’ve found myself crying for mercy when Shakespeare’s characters engage in elbow-in-the-ribs ribaldry; with Mr. Ferguson’s impeccable phrasing and timing, I would have been happy for it to last longer.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2013

The sight of him crouched in the shade with reddened face and streaming eyes evoked from his companions not pity but ribaldry.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya