shimmy
/'ʃimi/
shimmy is a small word with a lot of movement in it: it can name a lively shoulder-and-hip dance, or work as a verb meaning to shake, vibrate, or wobble rapidly. But context matters, because the same noun can also point to a loose sleeveless undergarment or an abnormal wobble, especially in a vehicle’s front wheels. In this lesson, we look at how shimmy shifts between dance, clothing, and mechanical shaking, and why phrases like “perform a shimmy,” “fix a shimmy,” and “began to shimmy” feel so different. Watch the full lesson to learn how to recognize the right meaning naturally.
