From Middle English fithele, from Old English *fiþele, from Proto-West Germanic *fiþulā, from Proto-Germanic *fiþulǭ (“fiddle”), of uncertain etymology. Some contest that the Germanic terms are borrowed variations of Late Latin vitula (see viola); others contest that the word has a separate origin within Germanic languages, and still others believe that the Late Latin term for the stringed instrument is a borrowing from Germanic as a change of Latin t to Germanic þ is highly improbable, yet Germanic þ to Latin t is well documented (see troop, trousers, Teobaldo, etc.). Cognate with Old High German fidula (German Fiedel), Middle Dutch vedele (Dutch vedel, veel), Old Norse fiðla (Icelandic fiðla, Danish fiddel, Norwegian fela, Swedish fela).
The change from /ðl/ to /dl/ in modern English is regular; compare Bedlam, staddle, swaddle (in brothel, it was prevented; see that entry for discussion).
From Middle English fithele, from Old English *fiþele, from Proto-West Germanic *fiþulā, from Proto-Germanic *fiþulǭ (“fiddle”), of uncertain etymology. Some contest that the Germanic terms are borrowed variations of Late Latin vitula (see viola); others contest that the word has a separate origin within Germanic languages, and still others believe that the Late Latin term for the stringed instrument is a borrowing from Germanic as a change of Latin t to Germanic þ is highly improbable, yet Germanic þ to Latin t is well documented (see troop, trousers, Teobaldo, etc.). Cognate with Old High German fidula (German Fiedel), Middle Dutch vedele (Dutch vedel, veel), Old Norse fiðla (Icelandic fiðla, Danish fiddel, Norwegian fela, Swedish fela).
The change from /ðl/ to /dl/ in modern English is regular; compare Bedlam, staddle, swaddle (in brothel, it was prevented; see that entry for discussion).
Meanings
A violin, a small unfretted stringed instrument with four strings tuned (lowest to highest) G-D-A-E, usually held against the chin, shoulder, chest or on the upper thigh and played with a bow (see also usage notes below).
When I play it like this, it's a fiddle; when I play it like that, it's a violin.
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia an' the Devil deals the cards... 1979, Charlie Daniels et al., The Devil Went Down to Georgia:
...Of harpe & of salteriun. of fiðele & of coriun... c. 1275, Layamon, Brut, Cotton Caligula A.IX, l. 3490
(proscribed, usually) Any of various other bowed stringed instruments, particularly those of the violin family when played non-classically.
The fiddle of these early times, however, was the viol and not our modern violin. 1864, William Sandys et al., The History of the Violin..., page 38:
A violinist, or fiddler, in a band.
He is first fiddle in the band.
Something resembling a violin, or fiddle, in shape ▸ A dock (Rumex pulcher) with leaves supposed to resemble the musical instrument.
Something resembling a violin, or fiddle, in shape ▸ A long pole pulled by a draft animal to drag loose straw, hay, etc.
Something resembling a violin, or fiddle, in shape ▸ A rack for drying pottery after glazing.
(figuratively) A clown; an unserious person entertaining a group.
You would not have your Son the Fiddle to every jovial Company. 1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education, page 208:
(figuratively, informal) Unskillful or unartful behavior, particularly when showy and superficially pleasing. ▸ A scam; a fraud or swindle.
I know you'll think this is one of my fiddles. At my last parish we raffled a horse and trap,... a clothes horse and a mousetrap. 1959 Sept. 4, The Spectator, p. 297
Says Bevin: 'I want peace... and we shan't get it unless we deal with one another as friends. I will be a party to no fiddles.' 1947 June 22, People, p. 4
There was some kind of fiddle going on at that company, and several of the directors were arrested.
(figuratively, informal) Unskillful or unartful behavior, particularly when showy and superficially pleasing. ▸ A workaround; a quick and less than perfect solution for some flaw or problem.
That parameter setting is just a fiddle to make the lighting look right.
(figuratively, informal) Unskillful or unartful behavior, particularly when showy and superficially pleasing. ▸ An act of tinkering, playing around, or fidgeting with something.
Most people are quite careful about buying appliances. When looking at TVs for instance you might look for a particular brand, peruse the definition and colors on the screen, and maybe even have a fiddle with the remote. 1998, Dean Ormandy, Conquering Computers, page 74:
(especially) Any rail or device that prevents items from sliding off a table, stove, etc. in rough water.
The meal is served on special trays which slot into the arms of airline-type seats of the passenger coaches. The trays have fiddles for each of the plates, cups and glasses, and the crockery is so well-designed that it is seldom any of the contents get spilled. 1962 September, P. Ransome-Wallis, “The Talgo trains of Spain”, in Modern Railways, page 188:
es chanchullo (a scam; a fraud or swindle) · it parapetto (nautical: device or rail for keeping items on a surface while at sea) · es componenda (a scam; a fraud or swindle) · ca balancera (nautical: device or rail for keeping items on a surface while at sea) · fi reunalista (nautical: device or rail for keeping items on a surface while at sea) · de Schiffsgeländer (nautical: device or rail for keeping items on a surface while at sea)
From Middle English fithele, from Old English *fiþele, from Proto-West Germanic *fiþulā, from Proto-Germanic *fiþulǭ (“fiddle”), of uncertain etymology. Some contest that the Germanic terms are borrowed variations of Late Latin vitula (see viola); others contest that the word has a separate origin within Germanic languages, and still others believe that the Late Latin term for the stringed instrument is a borrowing from Germanic as a change of Latin t to Germanic þ is highly improbable, yet Germanic þ to Latin t is well documented (see troop, trousers, Teobaldo, etc.). Cognate with Old High German fidula (German Fiedel), Middle Dutch vedele (Dutch vedel, veel), Old Norse fiðla (Icelandic fiðla, Danish fiddel, Norwegian fela, Swedish fela).
The change from /ðl/ to /dl/ in modern English is regular; compare Bedlam, staddle, swaddle (in brothel, it was prevented; see that entry for discussion).
Meanings
(intransitive) To play the fiddle or violin, particularly in a folk or country style.
to fiddle while Rome burns
Themistocles […] said he could not fiddle, but yet he could make a small town a great city. 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of the True Greatness of Kingdoms and Estates”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
(informal, transitive) To fraudulently manipulate (records, accounts, etc.) in order to cheat or swindle.
Fred was sacked when the auditors caught him fiddling the books.
(intransitive) To fidget or play; to fuss; to idly amuse oneself, to act aimlessly, idly, or frivolously, particularly out of nervousness or restlessness; see also fiddle with.
[…] talking, and fiddling with their hats and feathers […] 1663 July 22 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “July 13th, 1663 (Lord’s Day)”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume III, London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893, →OCLC:
Yossarian went along in Milo Minderbinder's speeding M & M staff car to police headquarters to meet a swarthy, untidy police commissioner with a narrow black mustache and unbuttoned tunic who was fiddling with a stout woman with warts and two chins when they entered his office and who greeted Milo with warm surprise and bowed and scraped in obscene servility as though Milo were some elegant marquis. 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Eternal City”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 425:
Sit up straight and stop fiddling!
Loke you fydell nat with your handes whan your maister speketh to you. 1530, John Palsgrave, Lesclarcissement, page 549:
(informal, intransitive) Synonym of tinker (“to make small adjustments or improvements”); see also fiddle with.
I don't exactly know how to fix this lawnmower; I'm really just fiddling.
(UK, intransitive, obsolete, slang) To do odd jobs for money.
A cake-seller told me that a little while before I saw him a lad of twelve or so had consumed a shilling’s worth of cakes and pastry, as he had got a shilling by “fiddling;” not, be it understood, by the exercise of any musical skill, for “fiddling,” among the initiated, means the holding of horses, or the performing of any odd jobs. 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
mi raukoti (to play aimlessly) · ja いじり回す (to play aimlessly) · fi vinguttaa viulua (to play the violin in a folk or informal way) · mi rahurahu (to play aimlessly) · pt vadiar (to play aimlessly) · hu hegedül (to play the violin in a folk or informal way) · oc bidolhar (to play aimlessly) · ru тереби́ть (to play aimlessly) · es chanchullear con (to fraudulently manipulate) · de fummeln (to play aimlessly) · fr bidouiller (to play aimlessly) · fi soittaa viulua (to play the violin in a folk or informal way) · fr tripoter (to play aimlessly) · es chanchullar con (to fraudulently manipulate) · cs šumařit (to play the violin in a folk or informal way) · cmn 盤弄 /盘弄 (to play aimlessly) · es toquetear (to play aimlessly) · nl fiedelen (to play the violin in a folk or informal way) · cmn 盤弄 /盘弄 (to play aimlessly) · ru мять (to play aimlessly) · cs marnit (to play aimlessly) · cmn 摸索 (to play aimlessly) · fi räplätä (to play aimlessly) · fi koheltaa (to play aimlessly) · mi rāwekeweke (to play aimlessly) · fi haaskata (to play aimlessly) · ru тра́тить вре́мя по́пусту (to play aimlessly) · es juguetear (to play aimlessly)