http://www.word-detective.com/2010/10/tizzy/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.word-detective.com/2010/10/tizzy/comment-page-1/#comment-7998 Gordon Schumacher Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:34:26 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=4076#comment-7998 In fact, backing up to another slightly archaic slang usage, I find "scatterbrained or silly" also very suggestive of the word... In fact, backing up to another slightly archaic slang usage, I find “scatterbrained or silly” also very suggestive of the word…

]]> http://www.word-detective.com/2010/10/tizzy/comment-page-1/#comment-7997 Gordon Schumacher Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:32:55 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=4076#comment-7997 As a self-described "armchair linguist" (much to my wife's consternation, since she is going to school for the real thing!) I would have guessed wildly that "tizzy" was a corruption of "dizzy" - especially in light of the definition of "characterized by impulsive haste" which has fallen somewhat into disuse. Also consider that "dizzying", rather than literally indicating "something which makes one feel dizzy", suggests "something bewildering", which is also not that far off. As a self-described “armchair linguist” (much to my wife’s consternation, since she is going to school for the real thing!) I would have guessed wildly that “tizzy” was a corruption of “dizzy” – especially in light of the definition of “characterized by impulsive haste” which has fallen somewhat into disuse. Also consider that “dizzying”, rather than literally indicating “something which makes one feel dizzy”, suggests “something bewildering”, which is also not that far off.

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