Georgian · word · noun
Taradiddle
tarr-uh-DID-ul /ˌtæɹəˈdɪdəl/pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recordedby 1788
A fib; a petty lie. Later also pretentious or silly nonsense. Perhaps built on diddle, 'to cheat'.
Where it was first recorded
Grose, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, 1788 (not in the 1785 first edition; Green's Dictionary of Slang also cites Grose's manuscript additions of c. 1786)
Also spelled: tarradiddle, tarrididdle
In its own time
TARADIDDLE. A fib, or falsity.
Today
Modern exampleHis excuse about the dog eating the charger was an obvious taradiddle.
Fine to use; a light, humorous word for a fib or for nonsense.
Questions
What does taradiddle mean?
A fib; a petty lie. Later also pretentious or silly nonsense. Perhaps built on diddle, 'to cheat'.
When was taradiddle first used?
It is first recorded by 1788 — Grose, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, 1788 (not in the 1785 first edition; Green's Dictionary of Slang also cites Grose's manuscript additions of c. 1786).
Can you still use taradiddle today?
Fine to use; a light, humorous word for a fib or for nonsense.
Sources
- taradiddle, n. — Green's Dictionary of Slang
- A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition (1788) — Internet Archive (scan + OCR)
- A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, 'Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'), Francis Grose — Project Gutenberg eBook #5402
- taradiddle — Merriam-Webster
- tarradiddle — Wiktionary
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above