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persiflage

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: Persiflage

English

Etymology

From French persiflage, from persifler (to quiz, tease, mock), from per- + siffler (to whistle), from Latin sībilō (whistle).

Pronunciation

Noun

persiflage (countable and uncountable, plural persiflages)

  1. Good-natured banter; raillery.
    After the third strike he returned to the bench to face the inevitable persiflage from his teammates.
    • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVIII, in Romance and Reality. [], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, [], →OCLC, page 208:
      No one can deny Lady Charlotte Bury's assertion, that no well-regulated young female will ever indulge in a species of amusement so improper as flirtation; but it must be admitted, that having a pleasant partner is preferable to not dancing, and that a little persiflage, a little raillery, a little flattery, go far to make a partner pleasant.
  2. Frivolous, lighthearted discussion of a topic.
    Polite dinner calls for persiflage rather than in-depth possibly offensive discussion.

Synonyms

Translations

Anagrams

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French persiflage.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌpɛr.siˈflaː.ʒə/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: per‧si‧fla‧ge
  • Rhymes: -aːʒə

Noun

persiflage m (plural persiflages)

  1. lighthearted caricature or mockery, as in a comedy sketch
  2. (archaic) ridiculing mispresenting or misconstruing

French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From persifler + -age.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɛʁ.si.flaʒ/
  • Audio (France (Lyon)):(file)

Noun

persiflage m (plural persiflages)

  1. ridicule or malicious mockery made under the guise of good-natured raillery

Descendants

Further reading

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