A while back, I became vexed at the lack of organization and specificity regarding colloquial expressions in American English for "very small". I mean, just how big was the folkloric Itsy-Bitsy Spider? Would it be larger than an itty-bitty spider, or smaller? Is teeny-weeny smaller than teeny, or merely an emphatic form of teeny? Such things bother me, especially given my penchant to systematize everything that enters my eyes, ears, or mind.
So, I took it upon myself to develop a hierarchy in this regard, listed below. The expressions are in decreasing order of size (#1 being the largest and #8 the smallest). I would be interested in obtaining feedback on this before going public with it. Thanks!
tiny
teeny
teeny-tiny
itty-bitty
teeny-weeny
itsy-bitsy
teensy-weensy
itsy-bitsy-teensy-weensy
Looks like somebody needs a nap. Just a teensy one.
ReplyDeleteThrow in a yellow polka dot bikini and you've got a bouncy song.
By Jove, I think you've got it!
ReplyDelete👍
DeletePhew! What a relief. I was worried you wouldn’t include teensy-weensy! But where does itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny fit? I think it belongs after teensy-weensy.
ReplyDeleteAbundant thanks foir catching this oversight! I will issue a revised list presently...
DeleteWell no one has suggested therapy, yet.
ReplyDeleteYes they have... 🤪
DeleteWhere would you put "wee"?
ReplyDeleteIn the toilet? Okay, I'll leave now.
Delete🤣
DeleteHmmm, I think you're right on this. "Wee" didn't cross my mind, but I've listed it's diminutives, i.e., weeny and weensy. (I prefer using the updated orthography of -y instead of -ie (weenie) for the sake of consistency.
DeleteI think you nailed it Hammy - with a minuscule nail of course!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you!
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