higgledy-piggledy

higgledy-piggledy
higgledy-piggledy "confusedly, hurriedly," 1590s, a "vocal gesture" [OED] probably formed from PIG (Cf. pig) and the animal's suggestions of mess and disorder. Reduplications in the h-/p- pattern are common (e.g. hanky-panky, hocus-pocus, hinch(y)-pinch(y), an obsolete children's game, attested from c.1600).
Edward Moor, "Suffolk Words and Phrases" (London, 1823), quotes a list of reduplications from Ray's "Collection of English Words" (1768), all said to "signify any confusion or mixture;" the list has HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY (Cf. higgledy-piggledy), HURLY-BURLY (Cf. hurly-burly), HODGE-PODGE (Cf. hodge-podge), mingle-mangle, ARSY-VERSY (Cf. arsy-versy), kim-kam, HUB-BUB (Cf. hub-bub), crawly-mauly, and hab-nab. "To which he might have added," Moor writes, crincum-crankum, crinkle-crankle, FLIM-FLAM (Cf. flim-flam), FIDDLE-FADDLE (Cf. fiddle-faddle), gibble-gabble, HARUM-SCARUM (Cf. harum-scarum), HELTER-SKELTER (Cf. helter-skelter), hiccup-suickup, HOCUS-POCUS (Cf. hocus-pocus), hotch-potch, HUGGER-MUGGER (Cf. hugger-mugger), HUM-DRUM (Cf. hum-drum), hum-strum, HURRY-SCURRY (Cf. hurry-scurry), JIBBER-JABBER (Cf. jibber-jabber), prittle-prattle, SHILLY-SHALLY (Cf. shilly-shally), tittle-tattle, and TOPSY-TURVY (Cf. topsy-turvy). Many of them seem to date to the 16th century.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Higgledy-piggledy — Hig gle*dy pig gle*dy, adv. In confusion; topsy turvy. [Colloq.] Johnson. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • higgledy-piggledy — ► ADVERB & ADJECTIVE ▪ in confusion or disorder. ORIGIN probably with reference to the irregular herding together of pigs …   English terms dictionary

  • higgledy-piggledy — [hig′əl dē΄ pig′əl dē΄] adv. [redupl., prob. from PIG] in disorder; in jumbled confusion adj. disorderly; jumbled; confused …   English World dictionary

  • higgledy-piggledy — [[t]hɪ̱g(ə)ldi pɪ̱g(ə)ldi[/t]] ADJ GRADED If you say that things are higgledy piggledy, you mean that they are very disorganized and untidy. [INFORMAL] Books are often stacked in higgledy piggledy piles on the floor. Syn: jumbled, untidy ADV… …   English dictionary

  • higgledy-piggledy — adverb Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1598 in a confused, disordered, or random manner < tiny hovels piled higgledy piggledy against each other Edward Behr > • higgledy piggledy adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • higgledy-piggledy — 1. adjective ˈhɪɡəldiˌpɪɡəldi/ In utter disorder or confusion; mixed up. I cant find your memo since my desk is all higgledy piggledy. Syn: disordered, disorderly, hugger mugger, jumbled …   Wiktionary

  • higgledy-piggledy — hig|gle|dy pig|gle|dy [ˌhıgəldi ˈpıgəldi] adj [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: Perhaps from pig; because pigs gather closely together in groups] things that are higgledy piggledy are mixed together in an untidy way >higgledy piggledy adv …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • higgledy-piggledy — adjective things that are higgledy piggledy are mixed together in an untidy way higgledy piggledy adverb …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • higgledy-piggledy — /hig euhl dee pig euhl dee/, adv. 1. in a jumbled, confused, or disorderly manner; helter skelter. adj. 2. confused; jumbled. [1590 1600; rhyming compound of uncert. orig.] * * * …   Universalium

  • higgledy piggledy — Synonyms and related words: all over, all over hell, anarchic, arsy varsy, ass backwards, balled up, bollixed up, capriciously, chaotic, chaotically, confused, erratically, every which way, fouled up, galley west, harum scarum, helter skelter,… …   Moby Thesaurus

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