taradiddle - another etymological challenge?

[Steve Harper]

Per my Microsoft Book shelf dictionary:

tarradiddle
1.      A petty falsehood; a fib.
2.      Silly pretentious speech or writing; twaddle.
[origin unknown]

paradiddle
Music.
A pattern of drumbeats characterized by four basic beats and alternating
left-handed and right-handed strokes on the successive primary beats.


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Swain, Bill
Sent: August 30, 1999 10:25
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: taradiddle - another etymological challenge?


Ask any percussionist and they'll tell you it's a type of drumming pattern
used on a snare drum...

-----Original Message-----
From: A. Vine [mailto:avine at ENG.SUN.COM]
Sent: Friday, August 20, 1999 8:33 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: taradiddle - another etymological challenge?