A Quirky Exploration of 12 Unique Reduplicative Words

While you might not enjoy jibber-jabber or when life goes helter-skelter, it's hard to resist words born from what linguists refer to as 'reduplication.' Unfortunately, not all of these charming terms gain widespread use. Here's a closer look at 12 words that deserve to be revived from their largely forgotten spot in linguistic history.

1. Pribble-prabble

This word, which has been in use since the 1500s, shares the same meaning as its root, ‘pribble,’ which refers to a petty or insignificant argument or quarrel. The phrase 'pribbles and prabbles' conveys the same idea. Needless to say, every comment section in the multiverse is filled with pribble-prabble.

2. Curly-murly

This term, originating in the 1700s, essentially means 'extremely curly.' Feel free to use it the next time you spot someone rocking some next-level curls. ‘Curly-murly’ might also come in handy when requesting a particular hairstyle from a well-versed hairdresser.

3. Evo-devo

Evo-devo was first introduced in a 1997 edition of Science magazine, and it carries a more scientific connotation than the other terms on the list: “Rudolf Raff and other pioneers have teamed up to establish a new field called evolutionary developmental biology, or ‘evo-devo.’” Technically, evo-devo is an abbreviation, but it certainly has the characteristics of a reduplication.

4. Fingle-fangle

This word is linked to newfangled, which expresses a dismissive view of new things, implying they are just a collection of unnecessary bells, whistles, and nonsense. A fingle-fangle is either a worthless item or a notion so fanciful and insignificant that it’s hardly worth considering. The oldest example in the OED—from 1652—mentions the phrase fingle-fangle fashion, which seems fitting. Anything fashionable likely won’t endure.

5. Flaunt-a-flaunt

Similar to words like rub-a-dub and pit-a-pat, the 16th-century term flaunt-a-flaunt was often used to describe birds—or individuals who strutted like them. A showy touchdown celebration could certainly be viewed as a flaunt-a-flaunt display.

6. Gibble-gabble

This term for meaningless chatter dates back to the 1600s and is related to gabble, meaning “Rapid, unintelligible speech.” It can be used both as a noun and an adjective, as evidenced by a 1693 reference to “Gibble gabble Gibbrish.”

7. Brittle-brattle

This onomatopoeic term typically denotes a rattling sound. The OED provides an 1874 example: “On a mild evening, the tree-toads open their brittle-brattle chorus on the edge of the pond.”

8. Bibble-babble

Bibble-babble essentially means meaningless chatter—it’s been used to describe empty talk since the 1500s. In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare gave us this piece of advice: “Endeauour thy selfe to sleepe, and leaue thy vaine bibble babble.” In modern terms, “Shut up and go to bed.”

9. Skimble-skamble

Here’s another term from Shakespeare: In Henry IV Part 1, the phrase skimble scamble stuffe denotes nonsense.

10. Flippy-floppy

We’re all familiar with the flip-flop—a favorite maneuver of politicians—but here’s a twist with a bit more flair. Flippy-floppy has been around for over a century, still making occasional appearances, like in a 2003 Australian newspaper article about a dog: “Let’s face it, the Pommie with the goo-goo eyes and flippy floppy hair only ever acts as himself, a sort of feckless, loose goose with a few bob.”

11. Havey-cavey

Anything described as havey-cavey is uncertain or questionable in some way. The term’s origins are somewhat murky, but it may be connected to the word haver, meaning “To speak foolishly or without purpose.” An example from an 1891 glossary shows that havey-cavey situations could be quite serious: “A young man who was very ill was said to be in a very havey-cavey state, tottering between life and death.”

12. Wibble-wobble

This variation of wobble isn’t widespread, but it’s surprisingly versatile, giving rise to at least two other uncommon forms. Anything teetering or swaying can be described with the phrase wibblety-wobblety, while awkward movements or words are often called “wibbly-wobbly.” In fact, this term appears in James Joyce’s Ulysses in a phrase that deserves more frequent use: “Bless me, I'm all of a wibblywobbly.”