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Fiddle vs Trifle - What's the difference?

fiddle | trifle |

As nouns the difference between fiddle and trifle

is that fiddle is any of various bowed string instruments, often used to refer to a violin when played in any of various traditional styles, as opposed to classical violin while trifle is an English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.

As verbs the difference between fiddle and trifle

is that fiddle is to play aimlessly while trifle is to deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.

fiddle

English

(wikipedia fiddle)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (music) Any of various bowed string instruments, often used to refer to a violin when played in any of various traditional styles, as opposed to classical violin.
  • When I play it like this, it's a fiddle; when I play it like that, it's a violin.
  • A kind of dock (Rumex pulcher ) with leaves shaped like the musical instrument.
  • An adjustment intended to cover up a basic flaw.
  • That parameter setting is just a fiddle to make the lighting look right.
  • A fraud; a scam.
  • (nautical) On board a ship or boat, a rail or batten around the edge of a table or stove to prevent objects falling off at sea. (Also fiddle rail )
  • Synonyms

    * (instrument) violin

    Derived terms

    * fiddle brake * fiddle factor * fiddle-faddle * fiddlehead * fiddly * first fiddle * fit as a fiddle * lead fiddle * second fiddle

    See also

    * crowd, crwth

    Verb

    (fiddl)
  • To play aimlessly.
  • * Samuel Pepys
  • Talking, and fiddling with their hats and feathers.
    You're fiddling your life away.
  • To adjust in order to cover a basic flaw or fraud etc.
  • I needed to fiddle the lighting parameters to get the image to look right.
    Fred was sacked when the auditors caught him fiddling the books.
  • (music) To play traditional tunes on a violin in a non-classical style.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Themistocles said he could not fiddle , but he could make a small town a great city.

    Synonyms

    * (to adjust in order to cover a basic flaw) fudge

    Derived terms

    * fiddle about * fiddle around * fiddle the books * fiddle with * fiddler

    See also

    * fritter

    trifle

    English

    Noun

  • An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.
  • An insignificant amount.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
  • , title=Well Tackled! , chapter=17 citation , passage=Commander Birch was a trifle uneasy when he found there was more than a popple on the sea; it was, in fact, distinctly choppy. Strictly speaking, he ought to have been following up the picket–boat, but he was satisfied that the circumstances were sufficiently urgent for him to take risks.}}
  • Anything that is of little importance or worth.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmation strong / As proofs of holy writ.
  • * Drayton
  • with such poor trifles playing
  • A particular kind of pewter.
  • (uncountable) Utensils made from this particular kind of pewter.
  • Synonyms

    See also: . * (insignificant amount) iota, jot, scrap, whit * (thing of little importance or worth) bagatelle, minor detail, whiffle

    Derived terms

    * a trifle

    See also

    * ("trifle" on Wikipedia)

    Verb

    (trifl)
  • To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.
  • To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.
  • To inconsequentially toy with something.
  • To squander or waste.
  • Anagrams

    * * ----