Definition

1. Noun:

   • Light, informal, and often trivial conversation or gossip: "Tittle-tattle" refers to casual talk, typically about unimportant or personal matters, often of a gossipy nature.
   • Idle chatter or rumor: It can denote the content of such conversation, which is often considered frivolous or lacking substance.

2. Verb:

   • To engage in light, rapid, and incessant talk about unimportant matters: To speak in a gossipy, trivial, or chatty manner, often without serious purpose.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The magazine is full of celebrity tittle-tattle. (The magazine is full of trivial gossip about celebrities.)
  • I'm not interested in office tittle-tattle. (I am not interested in the idle office chatter.)

• Verb:

  • They spent the afternoon tittle-tattling about their neighbors. (They spent the afternoon gossiping incessantly about their neighbors.)
  • She loves to tittle-tattle on the phone for hours. (She loves to chatter about unimportant things on the phone for hours.)

Advanced Usage

• "To be nothing but tittle-tattle": to be considered mere gossip or baseless rumor.
  • Don't believe that story; it's nothing but tittle-tattle. (Do not believe that story; it is merely gossip.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tattler (n): a person who engages in gossip or reveals secrets.

  • He's known as the office tattler. (He is known as the person who gossips in the office.)

• Tattle (v/n): (verb) to gossip or reveal secrets; (noun) gossip or a report. ("Tattle" is a simpler, more common form.)

  • The child tattled on his sister. (The child told on his sister.)

Synonyms

• Noun: Gossip, chatter, prattle, chitchat, rumor.
• Verb: Gossip, chatter, prattle, jabber, blather.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Tittle-tattle" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The simpler form "tattle" is used instead.) - Tattle on (someone): to inform an authority about someone's misbehavior. - The student tattled on the class clown to the teacher. (The student reported the class clown's behavior to the teacher.)

Related Idioms

• A tittle-tattle tale: a story or piece of information that is gossipy and likely exaggerated or untrue.
  • That's just a tittle-tattle tale; there's no evidence for it. (That is just a piece of gossip; there is no evidence for it.)

Noun

1. light informal conversation for social occasions

Verb

1. speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly