The Market Scene Columns = The Flibbertigibbet

Flibbertigibbet sounds like an old fashioned word to describe a wonky hangman’s tool. In fact it describes a gossiping person.

I discovered the word quite by mistake but it amused me greatly as markets are full of flibbertigibbets. A market is of course the perfect breeding ground for such a creature. A number of people trapped for long periods in the same spot with an influx of visitors carrying fresh material to be dissected and disseminated describe market life nicely.

The flibbertigibbet can live on any stall but of course it divides its time between many others, large ears flapping and tongue protruding hungry for the latest hot topic. Any subject is worthy of endless repetition providing it is salacious, fairly ridiculous or may cause harm to the victim(s).

Nobody is safe from the flibbertigibbet and anyone can become the object of flibbertigibbeting. Choose a new product for your stall, increase your stall’s frontage, increase or lower your prices, drive home taking a different route, chat too long to a member of the opposite sex, wear something out of the ordinary, accidentally ignore someone, smile at the Toby, or any countless number of actions and you could get flibbertigibbeted – it’s a serious risk.

Flibbertigibbet also suggests a restless person and you will on a quiet day see traders wandering about flexing their limbs, yawning, stretching and generally looking for something to do or someone to chat to. Once set up is complete long hours stretch aching for interaction or just plain action.

The origins of the word are not certain but it is generally assumed to represent the sound of meaningless speech. How many of us have encountered that on any day of the week? Actually we try hard to entertain one another in quiet times and it is amazing how many topics can be covered in humorous and inventive ways.

Every evening my family love to hear the latest gossip, jokes and general trivia as well as more serious opinions and information imparted. Because it’s not all frivolous fun you know. It’s rare for me to return home without some tale to tell of market life. Indeed it is eagerly anticipated along with the dirty jokes that are typically rife and tales of intriguing customers.

If you don’t want to become a flibbertigibbet, after all it conjures up a quite ridiculous image in my mind (big ears, long tongue); the trick is to let the gossip stop with you. Don’t be tempted to immediately repeat the juicy titbit. Savour and bury is my motto. Who knows when the knives will be out for you, besides how much of it is likely to be true?

On occasion a story is invented and passed around for pure entertainment, Chinese Whispers grow into Norfolk orations worthy of a stage.

Perhaps it is time for a new word to enter our language – ‘Flibbertitrader’?