tattling

English

Verb

tattling

1. present participle and gerund of tattle

Noun

tattling (plural tattlings)

1. The speech of one who tattles.
   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

     Peace your tattlings!

   • 1859, John Baillie, chapter 13, in St. Augustine: A Biographical Memoir‎^[1], New York: Robert Carter & Bros, page 112:

     […] that chaste and sober widow […] coming to Thy church, not for idle tattlings and old wives’ fables, but that she might hear Thee in Thy discourses […]

   • 1935, Nellie McClung, chapter 13, in Clearing in the West‎^[2], Toronto: Thomas Allen:

     […] we could have a glorious and radiant world here and now, a bright and happy world! There would be joy and gladness and singing in it, with plenty of work for everyone, but it would all be happy work; there would be no bad tempers, or tattlings, or scoldings, or ox beating, or ugliness.

Derived terms

• tittle-tattling