"folderol" meaning in English

See folderol in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈfɒldəɹəl/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈfɔldəɹɔl/ [US] Forms: folderols [plural]
Etymology: Originally a nonsense refrain in songs, since circa 1701, as "fal, al, deral!", and 1820, used to make the song longer without adding more meaningful content (see non-lexical vocables in music). Compare falleri, fallera, extended as falleralla or fallerallera, in Swedish and German songs. Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} folderol (countable and uncountable, plural folderols)
  1. (uncountable) Nonsense or foolishness. Tags: uncountable
    Sense id: en-folderol-en-noun-l7H-evSc
  2. (countable) A decorative object of little value; a trifle or gewgaw. Tags: countable Synonyms (decorative object): bauble, fandangle, gewgaw, trifle, trinket
    Sense id: en-folderol-en-noun-JI3LRHqg Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 98 Disambiguation of 'decorative object': 2 98
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: fol-de-rol, fol de rol, falderal Related terms: frippery, scat singing

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for folderol meaning in English (4.3kB)

{
  "etymology_text": "Originally a nonsense refrain in songs, since circa 1701, as \"fal, al, deral!\", and 1820, used to make the song longer without adding more meaningful content (see non-lexical vocables in music). Compare falleri, fallera, extended as falleralla or fallerallera, in Swedish and German songs.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "folderols",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "folderol (countable and uncountable, plural folderols)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "frippery"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "scat singing"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1978, Page Smith, The Constitution: A Documentary and Narrative History, Morrow Quill Paperbacks, published 1980, page 303",
          "text": "William Maclay, a Pennsylvania Democrat and a senator, was a watchdog against the development of any monarchial folderol gathering about the office of the president.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1985, John Fante, The Road to Los Angeles",
          "text": "[The librarian] rang the bell at nine. I hurried over to Philosophy and grabbed anything. It was another Nietzsche: Man and Superman. I knew that would get her. Before stamping it, she flipped a few pages.\n\"My!\" she said. \"What books you read!\"\nI said, \"Haw. That's nothing. I never read folderol.\"\nShe smiled good night.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1992, Donald L. Hoffman, “Mark's Merlin: Magic vs. Technology in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court”, in Sally K. Slocum, editor, Popular Arthurian Traditions, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, page 52",
          "text": "In this confrontation with the magic of science and the magic of folderol, it is almost impossible not to side with the magic of folderol, and the silly, but relatively benign, Merlin.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Todd Farley, Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, page 48",
          "text": "“To say the essay has 'development of ideas' is absolute folderol.”\n“I beg your pardon?” Maria asked.\n“Folly,” he explained pedantically. “Poppycock. Gibberish.”\n“I know what folderol means,” Maria said. “I just think you better watch what you say.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Nonsense or foolishness."
      ],
      "id": "en-folderol-en-noun-l7H-evSc",
      "links": [
        [
          "Nonsense",
          "nonsense"
        ],
        [
          "foolishness",
          "foolishness"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncountable) Nonsense or foolishness."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "2 98",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2000, Linda Shertzer, Cassie's Fortune, Jove Books, page 32",
          "text": "He didn't share Miss Flora's penchant for collecting gaudy, useless knickknacks, and wouldn't have bought any of those foolish, foreign fandangles and folderols if he did have the money to waste.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, G. K. Sutton, The Witherspoon Legacy, Xlibris, page 86",
          "text": "“I notice you're not keen on folderols.”\n“Folderols?” Amanda echoed uncomprehendingly.\n“My grandmother's term for decorative items, pictures, knick-knacks,” Connor's hand swept the room.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A decorative object of little value; a trifle or gewgaw."
      ],
      "id": "en-folderol-en-noun-JI3LRHqg",
      "links": [
        [
          "decorative",
          "decorative"
        ],
        [
          "value",
          "value"
        ],
        [
          "trifle",
          "trifle"
        ],
        [
          "gewgaw",
          "gewgaw"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(countable) A decorative object of little value; a trifle or gewgaw."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "sense": "decorative object",
          "word": "bauble"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "sense": "decorative object",
          "word": "fandangle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "sense": "decorative object",
          "word": "gewgaw"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "sense": "decorative object",
          "word": "trifle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "sense": "decorative object",
          "word": "trinket"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɒldəɹəl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɔldəɹɔl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "fol-de-rol"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "fol de rol"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "falderal"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "non-lexical vocables in music"
  ],
  "word": "folderol"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 3-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English uncountable nouns"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Originally a nonsense refrain in songs, since circa 1701, as \"fal, al, deral!\", and 1820, used to make the song longer without adding more meaningful content (see non-lexical vocables in music). Compare falleri, fallera, extended as falleralla or fallerallera, in Swedish and German songs.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "folderols",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "folderol (countable and uncountable, plural folderols)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "frippery"
    },
    {
      "word": "scat singing"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1978, Page Smith, The Constitution: A Documentary and Narrative History, Morrow Quill Paperbacks, published 1980, page 303",
          "text": "William Maclay, a Pennsylvania Democrat and a senator, was a watchdog against the development of any monarchial folderol gathering about the office of the president.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1985, John Fante, The Road to Los Angeles",
          "text": "[The librarian] rang the bell at nine. I hurried over to Philosophy and grabbed anything. It was another Nietzsche: Man and Superman. I knew that would get her. Before stamping it, she flipped a few pages.\n\"My!\" she said. \"What books you read!\"\nI said, \"Haw. That's nothing. I never read folderol.\"\nShe smiled good night.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1992, Donald L. Hoffman, “Mark's Merlin: Magic vs. Technology in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court”, in Sally K. Slocum, editor, Popular Arthurian Traditions, Bowling Green State University Popular Press, page 52",
          "text": "In this confrontation with the magic of science and the magic of folderol, it is almost impossible not to side with the magic of folderol, and the silly, but relatively benign, Merlin.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Todd Farley, Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, page 48",
          "text": "“To say the essay has 'development of ideas' is absolute folderol.”\n“I beg your pardon?” Maria asked.\n“Folly,” he explained pedantically. “Poppycock. Gibberish.”\n“I know what folderol means,” Maria said. “I just think you better watch what you say.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Nonsense or foolishness."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Nonsense",
          "nonsense"
        ],
        [
          "foolishness",
          "foolishness"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncountable) Nonsense or foolishness."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2000, Linda Shertzer, Cassie's Fortune, Jove Books, page 32",
          "text": "He didn't share Miss Flora's penchant for collecting gaudy, useless knickknacks, and wouldn't have bought any of those foolish, foreign fandangles and folderols if he did have the money to waste.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, G. K. Sutton, The Witherspoon Legacy, Xlibris, page 86",
          "text": "“I notice you're not keen on folderols.”\n“Folderols?” Amanda echoed uncomprehendingly.\n“My grandmother's term for decorative items, pictures, knick-knacks,” Connor's hand swept the room.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A decorative object of little value; a trifle or gewgaw."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "decorative",
          "decorative"
        ],
        [
          "value",
          "value"
        ],
        [
          "trifle",
          "trifle"
        ],
        [
          "gewgaw",
          "gewgaw"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(countable) A decorative object of little value; a trifle or gewgaw."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɒldəɹəl/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈfɔldəɹɔl/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "decorative object",
      "word": "bauble"
    },
    {
      "sense": "decorative object",
      "word": "fandangle"
    },
    {
      "sense": "decorative object",
      "word": "gewgaw"
    },
    {
      "sense": "decorative object",
      "word": "trifle"
    },
    {
      "sense": "decorative object",
      "word": "trinket"
    },
    {
      "word": "fol-de-rol"
    },
    {
      "word": "fol de rol"
    },
    {
      "word": "falderal"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "non-lexical vocables in music"
  ],
  "word": "folderol"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.