unearths some literary gems.
***
[From Limelight, by Organ]
a well-received performance as Mrs. See-deep [sic] in Observation and Flirtation
[Well! That allusion piqued my interest. It turned out that Observation and Flirtation was a real stage comedy from 1860; I found the text online and took a glance at--and I quote--"Observation and Flirtation: A Comedy in One Act, by Horace Wigan, Comedian, author of Conjugal Lesson--Fascinating Individual--Base Impostor--Pyramus and Thisbe--The Absent One, &c., &c." In the cast of allegorically named characters, Mrs. Seedeep bears her husband's surname; Mister Seedeep goes around making annoying, confident surmises about people's feelings and activities because he "sees" it all.]
[From Observation and Flirtation. "Fiddle-de-dee" as a Verb dept.]
MR. SANGUINE: You in love? fiddle-de-dee!
DR. SLOMAN: Fiddle-de-dee! I shan't fiddle-de-dee!
[A note on the spelling: Both Merriam-Webster's and OED's official versions of the word show no hyphens—but they differ in that M-W's version is "-deedee" (like Dee Dee Ramone) rather than "-dedee" (and a visit to Google Books suggests that "-de-" vs. "-dee-" is in-dee-d a UK vs. U.S. spelling difference). However, three out of OED's five citations for the word are, in fact, hyphenated as in Wigan's version.]
[From the Oxford English Dictionary. Nonsensical Appendage dept.]
Etymology: < fiddle n. or fiddle v., used in a contemptuous sense with a nonsensical appendage.
[Bonus: I think Organ & Wigan would make a good name for a duo, à la Olsen & Johnson.]
