Also 6 taratauntara, 7 taratantarra, tarratantara, tara-tantaro (taratamara); also, 6–7 taratantar, 7–9 tarantara, 9 tarantarratara. Cf. TANTARA. [Echoic: cf. L. taratantara (Ennius) sound of the trumpet (so It. taratantara in Florio), and med.L. taratantarum a sieve or winnowing machine (Cath. Angl., s.v. Tempse); It. taratantaro a mill-clack (Florio).]
1. A word imitating, and hence denoting, the sound of a trumpet or bugle (in quot. 1620, of a drum). Also attrib.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet., 92 b. Or when one is lustye to saye Taratauntara, declaringe therby that he is as lustye, as a Trumpette is delitefull, and styrringe.
1557. Grimald, Death Zoroas, in Tottell’s Misc. (Arb.), 120. Now clattering arms … Gan passe the noyes of taratantars clang.
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 66. The Drum soundeth taratantara.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. iii. VII. (1652), 354. Let drums beat on, trumpets sound Taratantarra, let them sack cities.
1638. Randolph, Hey for Honesty, I. ii. I would have blown a Trumpet Tarantara.
1652. G. Fidge, Great Eater of Grayes-Inne, xv. 27. For they were used to ride every day a Hawing and Hunting, my Master keeps the house sometimes for two or three yeares together; and what’s the cause, nothing but our mirth? our Randans, our tara Tantaras—Oh the only way in the World to make a Gentleman a house-keeper.
1660. Z. Crofton, Fastening St. Peter’s Fetters, 72. The Tarratantara murmur of the Lincoln-shire and York-shire men in their rebellious holy pilgrimage.
1667. Denham, Direct. Paint., II. vii. To raise it, we must have a Naval War, As if ’were nothing but Tara-Tan-Tar.
1698. Vanbrugh, Æsop, II. Æsop. To boot and saddle again they sound. Rog. Ta ra! tan tan ta ra! ra ra tan ta ra!
1873. ‘Ouida,’ Pascarèl, I. 121. Their Tirolean postilions roused the echoes … with a tarantarratara upon their tassellated bugles.
† 2. fig. High-flown, loud, extravagant, or pretentious talk. Also attrib. Obs.
1599. Broughton’s Lett., ii. 11. To coyne an epistle … with such Taratantara fictions and applauses.
1670. Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 43. Making a high rant about a shittle-cock, and talking tara-tantaro about a feather.
1674. R. Godfrey, Inj. & Ab. Physic, 29. [To] please himself in talking Tara-tan-tara about the Philosophers stone and Horizontal Gold.
Hence Taratantar, Taratantarize [= med.L. taratantarizāre] vbs., intr. to sound, or imitate the sound of, a trumpet; trans. to sound with a loud noise like the blare of a trumpet.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Tarantarize, to sound a trumpet, to sing or sound taratantara.
1840. G. Raymond, in New Monthly Mag., LIX. 244. She taratantared a dozen bells.
