# "Frivoling"?!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 16, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674 "2003-05-16T13:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/1 "2003-05-16T13:53:09Z")
“Here our parents thought we were _ **frivoling** _ away our lives.” …The hell? What was [Unca Cece](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/030516.html) _on_? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/2 "2003-05-16T13:59:38Z")
Musta gotten that one through the ol’ Ed-itor… ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/3 "2003-05-16T14:01:22Z")
It’s in my dictionary, as an informal back-formation from “frivolous”. **frivol** _vb Informal_ **1:** (_intr_) to behave frivolously; trifle. **2:** (_tr;_ often followed by _away_) to waste on frivolous pursuits ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/4 "2003-05-16T14:03:28Z")
My dictionary, by the way, being Collins English Dictionary, 21st Century Edition. I must admit, I thought it was a Cecil invention, but it’s still obvious what he meant. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/5 "2003-05-16T14:43:39Z")
I don’t mind new words, but it does seem weird when there are perflectly clear, simple words that mean the exactly same thing: Main Entry: **fritter** Function: _verb_ Etymology: _fritter_, noun (fragment, shred) Date: 1728 _transitive senses_ 1 : to spend or waste bit by bit, on trifles, or without commensurate return – usually used with _away_ ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/6 "2003-05-16T15:10:53Z")
New words? So you think Cecil might have seen [What words has Cecil Adams coined?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=181117&highlight=Cecil)? But no. The _OED_ has this: > [@](#): > > 1882 Tales Mod. Oxf. vii. 183 So between cricket and boating and frivoling at the vicarage, the sunny summer days sped along. It does say > [@](#): > > Not in dignified use. which may be precisely why Cecil used in that column. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/7 "2003-05-16T17:32:18Z")
I came in here to start a thread with _exactly_ the same title as this one. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/8 "2003-05-17T16:55:16Z")
I am amused by the otiosity of the discussion. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/9 "2003-05-17T23:21:51Z")
Great word, **Arnold**. Did you know it started out life as _ociositee_ as cited in Shakespeare and earlier. It suddenly appeared in the 1800’s as _otiosity_ as used by Thackeray and others. I just had some spare time on my hands and thought I would share that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/10 "2003-05-18T19:40:35Z")
Really, **samclem**? I would have guessed that it came from Latin “otium”, meaning “leisure”. As another interesting tidbit, “negotium”, meaning business or negotiations, is literally “not leisure”. And **Oxymoron** , “fritter” isn’t the word we want to use here. Unless, of course, the hashish is mixed into a sweet batter and griddled. Which, I suppose, would also directly address the munchies ;). ---
**Author:** ![danceswithroaches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@danceswithroaches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithroaches)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frivoling/175674/11 "2003-05-28T07:34:27Z")
Now there’s a word you don’t hear very often!