tizzy

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Unknown. American, 1935. Possibly related to tizzy (“sixpence coin”, slang), from tester (“sixpence coin”, slang).[1] Compare also dizzy.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈtɪzi/
  • Audio (General Australian):(file)

Noun

tizzy (plural tizzies)

  1. (colloquial) A state of nervous excitement, confusion, or distress; a dither.
    to be in a tizzy
    • 2014, The Creator of Rich Kids of Instagram, Maya Sloan, “Prologue”, in Rich Kids of Instagram, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 1:
      That Todd Evergreen. The reclusive, twenty-two-year-old, overnight billionaire whose very existence has put us all in a tizzy.
    • 2023 March 8, Tripp Mickle, Cade Metz, Nico Grant, “The Chatbots Are Here, and the Internet Industry Is in a Tizzy”, in The New York Times‎[1], →ISSN:
      The Chatbots Are Here, and the Internet Industry Is in a Tizzy [title]
  2. (UK, slang, archaic) A sixpence; a tester.
    • 1881, T. Lewis O. Davies, Thomas Lewis Owen Davies, A Supplementary English Glossary, page 630:
      Down with the stumpy; a tizzy for a pot of half-and-half.
    • 1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days:
      Tadpole holds out, but between threats and cajoleries at length sells half for one shilling and sixpence — about a fifth of its fair market value; however, he is glad to realize anything, and, as he wisely remarks, "Wanderer mayn't win, and the tizzy is safe anyhow."

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See also

References

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “tizzy”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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