tiddlywink

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɪdəlɪwɪŋk/, /ˈtɪdlɪ-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɪdliˌwɪŋk/
• Hyphenation: tid‧dly‧wink

Etymology 1

Sense 1 (“unlicensed beerhouse or pawnshop”) and sense 2 (“alcoholic drink”) are possibly related to tiddly (“(noun) alcoholic beverage; (adjective) somewhat drunk”).

Noun

tiddlywink (plural tiddlywinks) (UK, archaic or obsolete)

1. (dialectal, slang) An unlicensed beerhouse or pawnshop.

   Synonym: kiddlywink

   Hyponym: leaving shop

2. (Cockney rhyming slang) An alcoholic drink.
3. (games) A game played using dominoes.

Etymology 2

The noun is possibly derived from tiddly (“(informal) little, tiny”) +‎ wink (“blinking of one eye”), perhaps borrowed from etymology 1. The game, now called tiddlywinks, was patented by a British bank clerk, Joseph Assheton Fincher (1863–1900), on 19 October 1889, and the name Tiddledy-Winks trademarked by him the same year.

The verb is derived from the noun.

Noun

tiddlywink (plural tiddlywinks)

1. (tiddlywinks) A small disc used in the game of tiddlywinks; (by extension) a similar disc or counter used in other games.

   Synonym: wink

Translations

small disc used in the game of tiddlywinks; similar disc or counter used in other games

• Polish: pchełka (pl) f

Verb

tiddlywink (third-person singular simple present tiddlywinks, present participle tiddlywinking, simple past and past participle tiddlywinked) (intransitive)

1. Especially of something disc-shaped: to flip over like a disc used in the game of tiddlywinks.
2. To play tiddlywinks.

Derived terms

• tiddlywinker
• tiddlywinking (adjective, noun)

Further reading

• tiddlywinks on Wikipedia.Wikipedia