When I was a child, I remember my grandfather using the phrase “hotsy totsy” for something fancy. I still throw it out occasionally.
I love that word.
Do you mean hoity toity?
It’s 1920’s slang!
No, @cinnamon1212 has it right.
When she was surprised or stumped, my maternal grandmother often would say “Well I’ll be jiggered.”
I always thought it sounded cool.
They are both used. Hotsy-totsy and Hoity-toity. We use them both in our house for different purposes.
Hotsy-totsy, like “the bee’s knees”, always reminds me of P.G. Wodehouse.
Nothing beats Wodehouse.
But your definition of “fancy” sounds closer to “hoity toity” than “hotsy totsy” (I think the former is much more English and the latter is very American). How would you use it in a sentence?
As well as the unfortunate name given to a recurring character on “Welcome Back, Kotter,” namely female Sweathog Rosalie ‘Hotsy’ Totsy, played by Debralee Scott:
You’re arguing with me on my memories of my grandfather’s usage?
I was just wondering if he went to Ole Miss - hotty doddy - it sounded close.
I love the Kotter reference - thanks @mynameiswhatever . I actually remember her!!!
Northern New Jersey; he was a silk salesman in NYC. He also used “fancy schmancy”.
My mom still says, “Well, I’ll be jiggered.” Also, if a place was out of the way or hard to get to, my grandmother would say you had to “go around uncle Ben’s icehouse” to get there. I still say this today. She also called an umbrella a “bumbershoot.”
Good stuff!
I just remembered another one:
“For the love of Pete!”
This seems to have been a fancier version of “For Pete’s sake!”.
The less-than-great Southernism “Know what I mean?” It was made famous by Ernest P. Worrell: Ernest P. Worrell - Wikipedia
Outside of Ernest P., it was definitely used in the real world. I had a classmate of mine in school who would always respond, “No. What DO you mean?”
I love these old phrases!
My mom used to say (as an exclamation): “Gee whillikers!” and “Gadzooks!”.
The overuse and misapplication of -ist and -ism words.
“Without evidence” and “conspiracy theory”.
I still use fancy schmancy!
Reviving this thread to add a trend that grates in my ears–infantalizing terminology:
“K thanks bye!”
“Please and thank you”