Fiddle sb.

Forms: 3–4 fið-, fiþ-, fithel(e, (4 fithul, south. viþele), 4–5 fythel(e, (5 fythal, -il, -ylle), 4–6 fidel(e, (5 fed-, fldylle, 6 fiddel), 5–6 fydel, (5 -ill. -yll, 6 -delle, -dylle), 6– fiddle. [ME. fiþele, OE. *fiðele wk. fem. (implied in deriv. fiðelere) = MDu. vedel(e (Du. vedel, veel), OHG. fidula (MHG. videle, Ger. fiedel), ON. fiþla (Da. fiddel).

  The ultimate origin is obscure. The Teut. word bears a singular resemblance in sound to its med.L. synonym vitula, vidula, whence OF. viole, Pr. viula, and (by adoption from these langs.) It., Sp., Pg. viola: see VIOL. The supposition that the early Rom. vidula was adopted independently in more than one Teut. lang. would account adequately for all the Teut. forms; on the other hand, *fiþulôn- may be an OTeut. word of native etymology, though no satisfactory Teut. derivation has been found.]

  1.  A stringed instrument of music; usually, the violin, but also (with defining word as in bass fiddle) applied to other instruments of the viol kind. Now only in familiar or contemptuous use.

c. 1205.  Lay., 7002.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. IX. 102. Wolde neuere þe faithful fader his fithel were ontempred.

c. 1450.  Holland, Howlat, 761. The lilt pype, and the lute, the fydill in fist.

1535.  Coverdale, 1 Sam. xviii. 6. With tymbrels, with myrth, and with fyddels.

1589.  Pappe with an Hatchet, E iij b. I must tune my fiddle, and fetch some more rozen, that it maie squeake out Martins Matachine.

a. 1680.  Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 158.

1740.  Somerville, Hobbinol, I. 323.

1855.  Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 22. Engaged in London in giving private lessons on the fiddle.

1870.  H. Smart, Race for Wife, i. The dear old country fiddles are playing their somewhat superannuated dance-music with all the wonted animation and disregard of the niceties of tune which is so much the characteristic of provincial bands.

  b.  In colloquial phrases: As fit as a fiddle: in good ‘form’ or condition. To hang up one’s fiddle: to retire from business, give up an undertaking. To hang up one’s fiddle when one comes home: said of persons who are entertaining abroad but not in their family circle. To play first (or second) fiddle: to take a leading (or subordinate) position. To have one’s face made of a fiddle: to be irresistibly charming. To have a face as long as a fiddle: to look dismal.

1762.  Smollett, Sir L. Greaves (1780), I. viii. 84. As for the matter of following a madman, we may see your honour’s face is made of a fiddle; every one that looks on you, loves you.

1778.  G. L. Way, Learning at a Loss, II. 79. Our Friends the Terriers returned, with Jack Solecism the first Fiddle as usual.

1816.  Scott, Old Mort., xxxvii. How could I help it?—His face was made of a fiddle, as they say, for a’ body that looked on him liked him.

1822.  O’Meara, Napoleon in Exile, I. 227. He was of opinion that Prussia should never play the first fiddle in the affairs of the Continent.

1862.  H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, III. ix. 140–1. It was evident that, since John Marston’s arrival, he had been playing, with regard to Mary, second fiddle (if you can possibly be induced to pardon the extreme coarseness of the expression).

1882.  Miss Braddon, Mt. Royal, III. xi. 253. ‘Is Salathiel pretty fresh?’ asked the Baron. ‘Fit as a fiddle: he hasn’t been out since you hunted him four days ago.’

1889.  D. Hannay, Capt. Marryat, ix. He did not entirely hang his fiddle up when he came home.

1889.  H. O’Reilly, Fifty Years on the Trail, 11. The journey lasted about six days, and I arrived at my destination feeling as fit as a fiddle.

  2.  Applied to the player.

  a.  = FIDDLER. The fiddles: the band of fiddlers.

1676.  Marvell, Mr. Smirke, 71. Contrary to that great Emperours pious intention, whereas Envy began to dance among the Bishops first, the good Constantine brought them the Fiddles.

1773.  Brydone, Sicily, i. (1809), 7. Barbella, the sweetest fiddle in Italy, leads our little band.

  b.  transf. One to whose music others dance; hence, a mirth-maker, jester.

1600.  Breton, Pasquil’s Madcappe, 64, Wks. (Grosart), 9.

1693.  Locke, Thoughts conc. Educ., § 165. 208. You would not have your Son the Fiddle to every jovial Company.

1728.  Pope, The Dunciad, I. 224.

1739.  Cibber, Apol. (1756), I. 13. As his Rank and Station often find him in the best Comapny, his easy Humour, whenever he is called to it, can still make himself the Fiddle of it.

1837.  Marryat, Snarleyyow; or The Dog Fiend, v. He was indeed the fiddle of the ship’s company, and he always played the fiddle to them when they danced, on which instrument he was no mean performer.

  3.  Something resembling a fiddle in shape or appearance: a. Naut. (See quot. 1867); b. Agric. (See quot. 1874); c. Gunmaking. (See quot. 1881).

1865.  Daily Tel., 21 Aug., 5/2. A heavy sea, which … caused the production of ‘fiddles’ on the saloon tables at lunch time.

1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Fiddle, a contrivance to prevent things from rolling off the table in bad weather.

1874.  Knight, Dict. Mech., Fiddle. (Husbandry.) A wooden bar about 11 feet long, attached by ropes at its ends to the traces of a horse, and used to drag loose straw or hay on the ground, or hay-cocks to the place of stacking.

1881.  Greener, Gun, 248. The value of a stock is greatly enhanced by a species of cross pattern, or ‘fiddle.’

  4.  In various slang uses: a. (See quot. 1700). b. A watchman’s rattle. c. Scotch († Welsh) fiddle, the itch. d. Stock-exchange: the sixteenth part of a pound. e. A sixpence (Farmer).

  a.  a. 1700.  B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Fiddle, a Writ to Arrest.

1785.  in Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue.

  b.  1823.  W. T. Moncrieff, Tom & Jerry, II. ii. Log. Aye, come, Jerry, there’s the Charlies’ fiddles going. Jerry. Charlie’s fiddles!—I’m not fly, Doctor. Log. Rattles, Jerry, rattles! you’re fly now, I see. Come along, Tom! Go it, Jerry!

  c.  a. 1700.  B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Welsh-fiddle, the Itch.

1826.  J. Randolph, Let., 20 Feb., in Life J. Quincy, 421. I have not catched the literary ‘Scotch fiddle,’ and, in despite of Dr. Blair, do continue to believe that Swift and Addison understood their own mother tongue as well as any Sawney ‘benorth tha’ Tweed.’

  d.  1825.  C. M. Westmacott, Eng. Spy, II. 138. A fourth thrust his copper countenance into my face, and offered to do business with me at a fiddle.

1887.  Atkin, House Scraps, 15, Stock Exchange Idioms. Done at a fiddle; ‘Sugar’ getting in!!

  5.  Used interjectionally = FIDDLESTICK.

1695.  Congreve, Love for Love, V. vi. Fore. O fearful! I think the Girl’s influenc’d too,—Hussy, you shall have a Rod. Miss. A Fiddle of a Rod, I’ll have a Husband; and if you won’t get me one, I’ll get one for my self.

  6.  The action of fiddling, or fig. of fussy trifling.

1874.  Blackie, Self-Culture, 89. The eternal whirl and fiddle of life, so characteristic of our gay Celtic neighbours across the Channel, is apt to beget an excitability and a frivolity in the conduct of even the most serious affairs, which is incompatible with true moral greatness.

  7.  attrib. and Comb. a. simple attrib., as fiddle-lore, -make. b. objective, as fiddle-fabricant, -fancier, -holder, -lover, -maker; fiddle-making vbl. sb.; fiddle-scraping adj.

1836.  Dubourg, Violin (1878), ix. 271. Of the noted Tyrolese *fiddle-fabricants, Jacob Steiner, a man of chequered fortunes, was the ingenious chief. Ibid., ix. 269. One, that was pretty loud in tone, was sold, years ago, by an ingenious *fiddle-fancier.

1848.  J. Bishop, trans. Otto’s Violin, App. v. (1875), 85. The eminent violinist, L. Spohr, invented what he called a *fiddle-holder.

1885.  Pall Mall G., 9 June, 1/2. Now is the time for all *fiddle lovers to go and rub up their *fiddle lore.

1864.  Sandys & Foster, The History of the Violin, ix. 125. In that [hieroglyphic] applicable to Henry VIII. is a large instrument of the *fiddle make.

a. 1680.  Butler, Rem. (1759), II. 181. As if … no Man can play on a Lute that is not a good *Fiddle-Maker.

1885.  Pall Mall G., 9 June, 2/1. The great emperor of all fiddle-makers, Antonius Stradivarius.

1884.  E. Heron-Allen, Violin-making, II. vi. 129. It is of the greatest importance that the the wood used in *fiddle-making should be thoroughly dry and well-seasoned.

1879.  Besant & Rice, ’Twas in Trafalgar’s Bay, ii. (1891), 21. She came to comparing her son—the *fiddle-scraping son—with his late father.

  8.  Special comb.: fiddle-back, a back (of a chair) shaped like a fiddle, also attrib. in fiddle-back wood, a name given to various ornamental woods used for the covers of books; fiddle-block Naut. (see quot. 1858); † fiddle-brained a., foolish, frivolous; fiddle-dock (see quot. 1823); fiddle-faced a., pulling a long face, unhappy looking; fiddle-fish, (a) a name given to the Angel-fish or Monk-fish; (b) (see quot. 1867); fiddle-flanked a., having hollow flanks like a fiddle; fiddle-grass (see quot.); fiddle-lipped a., of a flower, having a lip shaped like a fiddle; fiddle-pattern, the pattern of ‘fiddle-headed’ spoons and forks; fiddle-patterned a. = FIDDLE-HEADED b.; fiddle-shaped a. Bot. (see quot. 1866; rendering mod.L. panduriformis); fiddlewood, (a) the Citharexylon; (b) (see quot. 1878–86).

1890.  Lucy B. Walford, The Home of Charlotte Brontë, in Longm. Mag., XV. Jan., 312. ‘That was his chair,’ she said simply, and pointed to a tall, old Chippendale arm-chair, with a quaintly-carved *‘fiddle’ back, and square seat, set edgewise.

1858.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Fiddle-block, a block with two sheaves; one over the other; the lower one smaller than the upper.

1882.  Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 44. The lower end [is] spliced round the fiddle block.

1823.  Crabb, Technol. Dict., *Fiddle-dock (Bot.) the Rumex pulcher of Linnæus, a perennial.

c. 1785.  John Thompson’s Man (1829), 17. *Fiddle faced, wagtailed fellows.

1885.  W. Westall, Larry Lohengrin, I. v. White-chokered, strait-laced, and fiddle-faced—either morally or physically or both.

1748.  Anson’s Voy., II. xii. 266. The Torpedo, or numbing fish, which is in shape very like the *fiddle-fish.

1859.  All the Year Round, No. 19. Sept. 3, 451/2. The fiddle-fish (shaped like the butt of a fiddle).

1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Fiddle-fish, a name of the king-crab (Limulus polyphemus).

c. 1785.  John Thompson’s Man, 15. Foul-breeked, rep-shanked, *fiddle-flanked.

1878–86.  Britten & Holland, Plant-n., *Fiddle Grass, Epilobium hirsutum L.

1829.  Loudon, Encycl. Plants, 4. Zingiber pandurátum, *fiddle-lipped.

1842.  Barham, Ingol. Leg., Misadv. Margate.

1819.  Rees, Cycl., XIV. s.v., *Fiddle-shaped leaf, in Botany, folium panduriforme, is oblong, broad at the two extremities and contracted in the middle, like a fiddle or some sort of guitar, and not like the ancient pandura or reed-pipe, as the Lain name implies.

1866.  Treas. Bot., Fiddle-shaped. Obovate, with one or two recesses or indentations on each side, as the leaves of the fiddle-dock, Rumex pulcher.

1713.  J. Petiver, in Phil. Trans., XXVIII. 216. Barbadoes *Fiddle-wood, Citharexylum Americanum.

1756.  P. Browne, Jamaica, 265. Black-heart Fiddlewood. This tree grows chiefly in the low lands, and Savannas; where it is frequently observed to rise to the height of forty or fifty feet: and is generally looked upon as one of the hardest and best timber-trees in the island.

1878–86.  Britten & Holland, Plant-n., Fiddlewood, Scrophularia aquatica.