TATTLE, TATTLER, TATTLETALE, TATTLING
(also see TALEBEARER, TELLTALE)
ADJECTIVES
1719 ► TITTLE-TATTLE addicted to tattling; gossiping
1808 ► GABBIT loquacious, talkative, tattling; impudent, impertinent → Sc.
NOUNS
1950 ► MOCKINGBIRD TALE loose tattle of one who receives a bit of scandal in confidence, and proceeds to broadcast it → Amer. dial.
NOUNS, PERSON
– BLAB an open-mouthed person; one who has not sufficient control over his tongue; a revealer of secrets or of what ought to be kept private; a babbler, a tattler, a telltale …c1374
– BLABBER one who blabs; one who reveals secrets; a telltale; a tattler …1557
– BLABBERER one who reveals secrets; a telltale, a tattler …c1375
– BUSY-LICKUM a gossip, a tattletale …1990s W. Indies sl.
– CACKLE one who chats or gossips; a telltale, tattler, or blabber; one who divulges a secret …a1225 sl.
– CACKLER one who chats or gossips; a talkative person; a telltale, tattler, or blabber; one who divulges a secret …a1400 sl.
– GAB a loquacious speaker; a tattler, a chatterbox; one who talks too much or too loudly …1822 Sc.
– GABBIE a loquacious speaker; a tattler, a chatterbox …1841 Sc.
– GABBOCK a loquacious speaker; a tattler, a chatterbox …1866 Sc.
– HAKE a forward, tattling woman …Bk1905 Sc.
– LAB a chatterbox, a tattler; one who cannot keep a secret …c1386 obs. exc. Eng. dial
– LABICAN a gossip, a tattler, a busybody …Bk1902 Eng. dial.
– LAB-O’-THE-TONGUE a chatterbox, tattler; one who cannot keep a secret …1746 Eng. dial.
– NARC; NARK a tattletale …1976 Amer. sl.
– NEWS PACKER a tattletale, a gossip …1983 Amer. dial.
– SCLAVE a gossip; one who tittle-tattles; a scandal-monger …1969 Sc.
– TABBY an old or elderly maiden lady; an old maid; sometimes applied to any spiteful or ill-natured female gossip or tattler …1761
– TALE PACKER a tattletale, a gossip …1939 Amer. dial.
– TALE-PIE a telltale; an informer; a tattler …Bk1855 Eng. dial.
– TALE-PYET a telltale, a talebearer, one who divulges secrets; an informer, a tattler …1808 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– TITIVIL a mischievous talebearer; a tattling telltale …1523 obs.
– TITTERER a tattler, a telltale …1377 obs.
– TITTLE-GOOSE a foolish, tattling person; a telltale, a foolish blab …1807 Eng. dial.
– TITTLER one who tattles; a whisperer, a telltale, a talebearer; a gossip …1399 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
– TITTLE-TATTLE a habitual tattler; one given up to gossip; esp. a woman so addicted …1580 obs.
– TITTLE-TATTLER one addicted to tattling; an idle talker, a gossip …1600
– TWITTLE-TWAT a chatterer, one who talks nonsense; a tattler, a babbler …1662 obs. rare
– WHIFFER a tattletale …1952 Amer. dial.
VERBS
– BLATE to tattle …1905 Amer. dial.
– BLEAT to tattle …1905 Amer. dial.
– CALL to tattle, to gossip, to spread reports; to run about idly …1872 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– CALL CLASHES to spread malicious reports, to gossip, to tattle …Bk1898 Sc.
– DIDDLE to tattle, to gossip …1810 Eng. dial.
– PACK NEWS to gossip; to tattle; to tell tales …1903 Amer. dial.
– PACK TALES to gossip, to tattle, to tell tales …1950 Amer. dial.
– PEACH to tell or tattle; to give information …Bk1913-17 Amer. dial.
– PIMP to snoop, to sneak, to tattle, to inform on …1851 Amer. dial.
– SCLAVE to spread a story though gossip or tittle-tattle; to rumour-monger; spec. of malicious rumours, to slander, to defame, to calumniate …1825 Sc.
– SQUEAL to turn informer; to tattle …1846 sl.
– SWITCH to tell or tattle; to give information …Bk1913-17 Amer. dial.
– TAT to gossip, to tattle …1953 Amer. dial.
– TATTER to chatter; to tattle …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
– TATTERTALE to tattle …2005 Amer. dial.