twittle-twattle

English

Etymology

See twattle.

Noun

twittle-twattle (plural twittle-twattles)

1. (archaic) Frivolous chatter or gossip; gabble, tattle.

   Synonym: (obsolete) twit-twat

   • 1667, Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, “(please specify the page)”, in R[oger] L[’Estrange], transl., The Visions of Dom Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, […], London: […] H[enry] Herringman […], →OCLC:

     The Gossips bawdy twittle twattle, / The Nurse and Midwife's prittle prattles / That must be very Welcome made

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Duffett to this entry?)

References

• “twittle-twattle”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.