whim-wham en · NOUN
Etymology
Uncertain; perhaps from North Germanic (compare Old Norse hvima (“to let the eyes wander”), Norwegian kvima (“to flutter”)), but in any case ultimately sound-symbolic/a fanciful reduplication (compare flim-flam).
Meanings
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(obsolete) A whimsical object; a trinket.
They′ll pull ye all to pieces for your Whim-whams, Your Garters and your Gloves,
1640, John Fletcher, James Shirley, “The Night Walker, or The Little Thief”, in The works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, volume 2, published 1750, page 101:
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A whim or fancy.
1807 April 18, “Anthony Evergreen” (Washington Irving), Salmagundi, or The Whim-whams and Opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, Esq. & Others, No. VIII, 1834, The Complete Works of Washington Irving in One Volume, page 35, And trust me, gentlefolk, his are the whim-whams of a courteous gentleman full of most excellent qualities ; honourable in his disposition, independent in his sentiments, and of unbounded good-nature, as may be seen through all his works.
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(in-plural) A state of nervous anxiety.
But that wasn't what gave him the whim-whams so bad here. In the clearing, no more than ten feet away, stood a little stone cherub atop a fancy grave marker maybe three feet high.
2009, Derryl Murphy, William Shunn, Cast a Cold Eye:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| whimwham | alternative | lexicographic | |
| whim-whams | Number=Plur | lexicographic |