subs. phr. (old).—1. Chatter; scandal; ‘foolish impertinent talk’ (B. E.); ‘women’s talk’ (GROSE); and (2) a chatterbox, a gossip. As verb. = to gossip. Hence TITTLE-TATTLER and TITTLE-TATTLING. Also proverbial saying, ‘TITTLE TATTLE, give the goose more hay.’
d. 1529. SKELTON, The Boke of Philip Sparow [CHALMERS, English Poets, ii. 292. 2].
| I played with him TITTEL TATTEL | |
| And fed him with my spattell. |
1580. SIDNEY, Arcadia, ii. You are full in your TITTLE-TATTLINGS of Cupid.
1592. J. LYLY, Midas, iii. 2. O, sir, you know I am a barber, and cannot TITTLE TATTLE, I am one of those whose tongues are sweld in silence.
1604. SHAKESPEARE, Winter’s Tale, iv. 4. You must be TITTLE TATTLING before all our guests.
1616. R. C., The Times’ Whistle [E.E.T.S.], 103, l. 3305.
| Dame Polupragma, gossip TITLE-TATLE, | |
| Suffers her tongue, let loose at randome, pratle. |
1633. R. BROME, The Antipodes, i. 6.
| The men doe all | |
| The TITTLE-TATTLE duties, while the women | |
| Hunt, Hawke, and take their pleasure. |
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, I. 113. The parchment whereon he wrote the TITTLE-TATTLE of two young mangy whores.
1675. COTTON, Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The Scoffer Scofft (1725), 173.
| Jup. Come, come, I cannot stay to prattle, | |
| Nor hear thy idle TITTLE TATTLE. |
d. 1704. T. BROWN, Works, ii. 180. The merry subject of every tavern TITTLE-TATTLE.
1705. WARD, Hudibras Redivivus, I. v. 9. For if bifarious TITTLE TATTLE, Could storm a Town, or win a Battel.
1710. ADDISON, The Tatler, No. 157, 11 April. Impertinent TITTLE-TATTLES, who have no other variety in their discourse but that of talking slower or faster.
d. 1770. CHATTERTON, Resignation. The daily TITTLE TATTLE of a Court.
1809. MALKIN, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 4. I had been pestered with all the TITTLE-TATTLE of the town about this fellow.
1820. COMBE, Dr. Syntax, ii. 31. The TITTLE-TATTLE town.
1890. The Academy, 18 Oct., 336. 2. Give all the facts and none of the TITTLE-TATTLE.
