hoity-toity

== English == === Alternative forms === hoitytoity, hoity toity === Etymology === Probably from hoit (“to behave frivolously and thoughtlessly; to play the fool”) +‎ -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’), reduplicated with a change of the initial consonant. The noun is attested earlier than the adjective. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈhɔɪtiˈtɔɪti/ Rhymes: -ɔɪti === Noun === hoity-toity (countable and uncountable, plural hoity-toities) (uncountable, archaic) Behaviour adopted to demonstrate one's superiority; pretentious or snobbish behaviour; airs and graces. Synonyms: affectations, airs, huffiness, pretensions (uncountable, obsolete) Flighty, giddy, or silly behaviour; also, noisy merriment. (flighty behaviour): Synonyms: flightiness, giddiness, silliness (noisy merriment): Synonyms: frolic, high jinks, romping (countable, British, dialectal) A young woman regarded as flighty, giddy, or silly. ==== Translations ==== Russian: хорохорство n (xoroxorstvo) === Adjective === hoity-toity (comparative hoity-toitier, superlative hoity-toitiest) Affected or pretentious, sometimes with the implication of displaying an air of excessive fanciness or ostentation; pompous, self-important, snobbish; often displaying a feeling of patronizing self-aggrandizing or arrogant class superiority. (obsolete) Flighty, giddy, silly; also, merry in a noisy manner. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adverb === hoity-toity (comparative more hoity-toity, superlative most hoity-toity) (obsolete) Flightily, giddily. Merrily, in a noisy manner. === Interjection === hoity-toity (dated) Expressing disapprobation or surprise at acts or words that are pompous or snobbish, or flighty. ==== Translations ==== === References ===