# wobbles

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 7, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776 "2005-02-07T06:40:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rukkus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5ac83/32.png) [@rukkus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rukkus)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/1 "2005-02-07T06:40:51Z")

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who knows where the word wobble comes from?

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**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/2 "2005-02-07T06:46:23Z")

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[dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=wobble)

> [@](#):
>
> [Probably from Low German wabbeln. See webh- in Indo-European Roots.]

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/3 "2005-02-07T07:11:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> wobble  
> 1657, probably from Low Ger. wabbeln “to wobble;” cognate with O.N. vafla “hover about, totter,” related to vafra “move unsteadily” (see waver).

courtesy: Online Etymology Dictionary

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**Author:** ![rukkus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5ac83/32.png) [@rukkus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rukkus)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/4 "2005-02-07T07:19:57Z")

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i just think its funny to say a few times when im tripping… yay acid!!!

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/5 "2005-02-07T16:04:48Z")

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While it probably isn’t the source of the word, some materials make a “wob, wob, wob” sound if you wobble them back and forth. One example is the blade of a hand saw.

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**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/6 "2005-02-08T15:39:41Z")

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> [@rukkus](#):
>
> who knows where the word wobble comes from?

From Weebles, of course.

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/7 "2005-02-08T16:09:28Z")

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According to the _Dictionary of Word Origins_, it is from the same root sorce as wave and waver. Its from a prhistoric Germanic base wab- meaning to move to and fro.

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wobbles/288776/8 "2005-02-08T17:24:49Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> i just think its funny to say a few times when im tripping…

If you’d like to expand your horizons a bit, [there’s also wibble, wubble, and flob](http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/wibble). Hope this helps. 🙂