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Fine Dictionary

ditty

ˈdɪti
WordNet
  1. (n) ditty
    a short simple song (or the words of a poem intended to be sung)
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
  1. Ditty
    A saying or utterance; especially, one that is short and frequently repeated; a theme. "O, too high ditty for my simple rhyme."
  2. Ditty
    A song; a lay; a little poem intended to be sung. "Religious, martial, or civil ditties .", "And to the warbling lute soft ditties sing."
  3. Ditty
    To sing; to warble a little tune. "Beasts fain would sing; birds ditty to their notes."
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
  1. (n) ditty
    A song, or poem intended to be sung, usually short and simple in form, and set to a simple melody; any short simple song. Originally applied to any short poetical composition (lyric or ballad) intended to be sung, the word came to be restricted chiefly to songs of simple rustic character, being often used of the songs of birds.
  2. (n) ditty
    The words of a song, as opposed to the tune or music.
  3. (n) ditty
    A refrain; a saying often repeated.
  4. (n) ditty
    Clamor; cry; noise.
  5. ditty
    To sing a ditty; warble a tune.
  6. ditty
    To sing.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
  1. (n) Ditty
    dit′i a song: a little poem to be sung.
Etymology

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary OE. dite, OF. ditié, fr. L. dictatum, p. p. neut. of dictare, to say often, dictate, compose. See Dictate (v. t.)

Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary O. Fr. ditie—L. dictātum, neut. of dictātus, perf. part. of dictāre, to dictate.

Usage in the news

Now the 62-year-old troubadour is swinging with nutty ditties for 18- to 25-year-olds to promote ESPN's college basketball schedule. nytimes.com

Unmusical pro-Obama ditty is seriously laughable. humanevents.com

A Favorite Passover Song (Scholastic, February), Miriam Latimer illustrates everyone's favorite Passover ditty. hbook.com

Director Stephan Elliott ( The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ) pumps up the melodrama - essentially a wry take on English pomposity and moral hypocrisy - with jaunty pop ditties and larky events. philly.com

I emerged from the salon whistling—that's how good I felt—but it wasn't long before my playful little ditty was drowned out by a much more declarative beat. citypages.com

Roto- Rooter 's Ditty Turns 50 We'll bet it's playing in your head right now. enquirer.com

Sergio Leone made westerns like Wagner made ditties. houstonpress.com

Ditty's Wrap Wagon is slinging saucy wraps. boiseweekly.com

Ditty's has more to do with lunch than music. boiseweekly.com

The LA band offers a diverse range of tracks including this ditty. kcrw.com

So, evidently, do the grapes in the wine inspired by that popular ditty. cleveland.com

Serving the Hardware, Equipment Rental & Appliance Needs in Manheim, Lititz, Mt Joy & Lancaster, PA. By JOHN DITTY. harlandaily.com

He'll play a little ditty on his guitar, sometimes he plays it good, and sometimes he plays it not so good. q103albany.com

Reporter Margo Varadi gets the ultimate gift of experience: a day in the studio with a professional musician and engineers, who work their magic to turn her little ditty into a fully realized, polished song. thestar.com

Observers line up Thursday behind Sacramento County elections officials, from left, Registrar Jill LaVine, Diane Jones and Heather Ditty as they verify ballot signatures. sacbee.com

Usage in scientific papers

Ditty for technical assistance with the spectrometer and sample choice and David Cory for providing the 3 qubit sample.
Randomized benchmarking of single and multi-qubit control in liquid-state NMR quantum information processing

Usage in literature

He was swaying from side to side, occasionally waving his arms in the air and howling out a tuneless ditty in a strident cracked voice. "The Rider of Waroona" by Firth Scott

In 1608 appeared Weelkes' last work, "Airs or Fantastic Spirits for three voices," a collection of lively and humorous ditties. "Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age" by Various

Now, is not this rude ditty, made very likely by some clumsy, big-headed Galloway herd, full of the real stuff of love? "Spare Hours" by John Brown

Songs were sung and ditties were played on the guitar; presently the Salterello sounded, and the merry dance began. "Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen" by Hans Christian Andersen

It happened to be a love ditty. "Brand Blotters" by William MacLeod Raine

Talking of songs, I shall just give you the interesting ditty with which this excellent extravaganza concludes. "Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, Number 358, August 1845" by Various

We left the hall while its roof echoed the jingling tail-piece of another popular ditty, which tickled Beatrice's fancy hugely. "The Message" by Alec John Dawson

It was a pretty little ditty, or rather a musical rattle on one note, resembling the song of the indigo bird, his near relative. "A Bird-Lover in the West" by Olive Thorne Miller

It's a ripping little ditty. "The Rhodesian" by Gertrude Page

The ditty and dirge of strife, All are daughters of duty and call to the golden life! "Oklahoma Sunshine" by Freeman E. (Freeman Edwin) Miller

Usage in poetry
The ladye liked her gallant guest,—
For he kenned the themes that pleased her best;
And his tongue in silken measures skilled,
With goodly ditties her memory filled.
O CHOOSE thou the maid with the gentle blue eye,
That speaketh so softly, and looketh so shy;
Who weepeth for pity,
To hear a love ditty,
And marketh the end with a sigh.
THE RIVER
What wouldst thou in these mountains seek,
O stranger from the city?
Is it perhaps some foolish freak
Of thine, to put the words I speak
Into a plaintive ditty?
Aw know some fowk will call it crime,
To put sich stooaries into ryhme,
But yet, contentedly aw chime
Mi simple ditty:
An if it's all a waste o' time,
The moor's the pity.
The Citizen will take his share
(In every sense) as bull and bear;
Nor need this oral ditty
Invoke the philologic pen
To show you that a Citizen
Means Something in the City.
My doubt subsides—'tis no Italian song,
Nor senseless ditty, cheers the vernal tree:
Ah! who that hears Dione's tuneful tongue,
Shall doubt that music may with sense agree?