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Origin and history of prittle-prattle

prittle-prattle(n.)

"trivial, idle, or worthless talk," 1550s, a varied reduplication of prattle. Also from 1550s as a verb.

also from 1550s

Entries linking to prittle-prattle

prattle(v.)

"talk artlessly and childishly," 1530s, a frequentative (or diminutive) of prate (q.v.); also see -el (2) and (3). Related: Prattled; prattling. The noun, "inconsequential or childish talk," is attested from 1550s.

Prattle is generally harmless, if not pleasant, as the prattle of a child, or of a simple-minded person ; prating now generally suggests the idea of boasting or talking above one's knowledge ; chat is easy conversation upon light and agreeable subjects ... ; chatter is incessant or abundant talk, seeming rather foolish and sounding pretty much alike ; babble or babbling is talk that is foolish to inaneness, as that of the drunkard (Prov. xxiii. 29) .... [Century Dictionary, 1895]
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    higgledy-piggledy
    helter-skelter, hiccup-suickup, hocus-pocus, hotch-potch, hugger-mugger, humdrum, hum-strum, hurry-scurry, jibber-jabber, prittle-prattle...
    lunch
    The verb meaning "to take to lunch" (said to be from the noun) also is attested from 1786: PRATTLE....Prattle, to refreſh my sponge, upon the honey dew that clings to your raviſhing pouters. O! Mrs....Prattle, this ſhall be my lunch....
    tattle
    late 15c., "to stammer, prattle," in Caxton's translation of "Reynard the Fox," probably from Middle Flemish tatelen "to...
    babble
    mid-13c., babeln "to prattle, utter words indistinctly, talk like a baby," akin to other Western European words for stammering...
    smatter
    "to patter, rattle," and compare Danish snaddre "chatter, jabber," Dutch snateren, German schnattern "cackle, chatter, prattle...
    argue
    The transmission to French might be via arguere in a Medieval Latin sense of "to argue," or from Latin argutare "to prattle...
    charade
    Compare Italian ciarlare, Spanish charlar "to talk, prattle."...
    issue
    c. 1300, "an exit," from Old French issue "a way out, a going out, exit; final event," from fem. past participle of issir "to go out," from Latin exire "go out, go forth; become public; flow, gush, pour forth" (source also of Italian uscire, Catalan exir), from ex- "out" (see ex-
    skeptic
    also sceptic, 1580s, "member of an ancient Greek school that doubted the possibility of real knowledge," from French sceptique and directly from Latin scepticus "the sect of the Skeptics," from Greek skeptikos (plural Skeptikoi "the Skeptics, followers of Pyrrho"), noun use of ad
    muster
    early 14c., moustren, "to display, reveal, to show or demonstrate" (senses now obsolete), also "to appear, be present," from Old French mostrer "appear, show, reveal," also in a military sense (10c., Modern French montrer), from Latin monstrare "to show," from monstrum "omen, sig

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