hurdy-gurdy
/ˈhɝː.diˌɡɝː.di/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.72 in modern English
22
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A stringed instrument that produces a droning sound by turning a handle that connects to a wheel that rubs against a rosined string, with a keyboard also used to alter the pitch of the string.
noun
Synonym of street organ, often considered a misnomer.
Example Sentences
- "He flung open the door, and found there only a ragged boy with a hurdy-gurdy on his back."
- "A pair of oars, a small mast and sail, pen boards to contain the fish, a bailer, a water jar, a bait knife, a compass, a small wooden winch called a hurdy gurdy, a fish gaff, and the tubs, trawls, floats, and anchors used to set gear was all that was required to equip it."
- "“You mean when she read that God-awful poem in her hurdy-gurdy Swedish chef accent?"
- "Swedes are often said to sing while they speak. (Listen to Floyd, the Muppet’s Swedish chef, singing “Hurdy Gurdy” and you’ll understand this.)"
- "Just don’t do what the Swedish chef from The Muppet Show does and start playing tennis with the meatballs, or start waving your cooking utensils about the kitchen and shouting ‘hurdy gurdy’ at your mates."
Etymology
Probably onomatopoeic in imitation of the sound produced by the stringed instrument. Compare obsolete hirdy-girdy (“an uproar; noise”). Attested from the 1740s.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɝː.diˌɡɝː.di/
- British English: /ˈhɜː.diˌɡɜː.di/