tomfoolery en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [ˈtʰɑmˌɸuɫ.ɚ.i] (US)
- /ˈtɑmˌful.ɚ.i/ (US)
- (US) audio
- /ˌtɒmˈfuːlə.ɹi/ (UK)
- (Southern-England) audio
- [ˈtʰɑɱˌfuɫ.ɚ.i] (US)
Etymology
Etymology tree Aramaic תאמא Aramaic תאומאbor. Ancient Greek Θωμᾶς (Thōmâs)bor. Latin Thōmāsbor. Middle English Thomas Middle English Thomme English Tom English foolery English tomfoolery From Tom (“a common man”) + foolery.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) Foolish behaviour or speech.
"Do not think THAT," I put in. "It was not so at all. I grant you that my behaviour was bad—I fully confess that it was so, and make no secret of the fact. I would even go so far as to grant you that my behaviour might well be called stupid and indecent tomfoolery; but, MORE than that it was not.
1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter VI, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(1867)/VI):
- (Cockney, countable, slang, uncountable) Jewellery.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tomfooleries | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Translations (34)
mk будала́штина (foolish behaviour) · pl bufonada (foolish behaviour) · cs klauniáda (foolish behaviour) · hu sületlenség (foolish behaviour) · mk лудо́рија (foolish behaviour) · fr bouffonnerie (foolish behaviour) · ru шутовство́ (foolish behaviour) · tr soytarılık (foolish behaviour) · hu ostobaság (foolish behaviour) · ja ばかなまね (foolish behaviour) · fr niaiserie (foolish behaviour) · mk глу́пости (foolish behaviour) · ro caraghioslâc (foolish behaviour) · lt cirkas (foolish behaviour) · pl psikus (foolish behaviour) · ru дура́чество (foolish behaviour) · cmn 愚蠢舉動 /愚蠢举动 (foolish behaviour) · ru фигля́рство (foolish behaviour) · pl figiel (foolish behaviour) · cmn 蠢事 (foolish behaviour) · nl gekkigheid (foolish behaviour) · fr pitrerie (foolish behaviour) · fi helyt ((slang) jewellery) · de Unsinn (foolish behaviour) · ru клоуна́да (foolish behaviour) · de Blödsinn (foolish behaviour) · ro bufonerie (foolish behaviour) · hu bárgyúság (foolish behaviour) · es payasada (foolish behaviour) · fi hölmöily (foolish behaviour) · bg палячовщина (foolish behaviour) · pl wygłup (foolish behaviour) · cs šaškárna (foolish behaviour) · de Clownerie (foolish behaviour)