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November 21, 2017

Word of the Day: Wifty

1 CQ

Word of the Day : November 21, 2017

wifty \WIF-tee\ adjective

Definition

: eccentrically silly, giddy, or inane : ditzy

Did You Know?

Wifty is a synonym of ditzy. And, like ditzy, its origins remain unknown. The earliest print evidence of wifty goes back to the early 20th century, though the word was certainly being used in spoken English before that. Ditzy stumbled into American slang decades later—we are able to trace it back to the 1970s. But dizzy, which in its Old English origins meant "foolish" or "stupid," has been used in a sense similar to ditzy or wifty since the 16th century.

Aired November 21, 2017

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