ish
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɪʃ/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- Rhymes: -ɪʃ
Etymology 1
From is.
Verb
ish
Etymology 2
Back-formation from -ish.
Adverb
ish (not comparable)
- (colloquial) somewhat, reasonably, fairly
- The exam went well... mostly... ish.
- "Was the film any good?" – "Ish."
- 26 May 2012, Jason VandenBerghe, “The Five Domains of Play”, Gotland Game Conference, Uppsala University:
- This is where I started. Does Hermione like Dark Souls? Ish.
- (colloquial) about, approximately
- 1974, Kingsley Amis, Ending up, page 11:
- 'With luck, about twelve.' 'Ah,' said Bernard. 'Twelve-thirty. Ish.'
- 2007, Marne Davis Kellogg, Friends in High Places, page 283:
- How old are you? Fifty-ish?" / "Ish." / The color flared in her cheeks but she didn't look as though she were going to shoot me.
- 2021 May, “Bogey”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):(episode 38 of Manifest)
- Eagen: "Don't blame Little House on the Prairie. I was very charming."
Angelina: "Did you lie about being an orphan too?"
Eagen: "Ish."
- Eagen: "Don't blame Little House on the Prairie. I was very charming."
Usage notes
- Like the suffix, the adverb is used only after the adjective it modifies, and never before.
Synonyms
Translations
reasonably, somewhat, (fairly)
Etymology 3
From Pitman ess and eff, which it resembles phonetically and graphically, and the sound it represents. The change in vowel probably reflects the familiar suffix -ish.
Noun
ish (plural ishes)
- The letter which stands for the sh sound /ʃ/ in Pitman shorthand.
Related terms
Etymology 4
Phonetic spelling of the clipping of issue.
Noun
ish (plural ishes)
- (dated, fandom slang) An instalment of a periodical; an issue.
- 1939 August 5, "Bob" Tucker, Le Zombie, number 10, page 3:
- "A LITTLE UNPLEASANTNESS" DEPT: Fantasy Digest says in it's[sic] latest ish: Quote: Some unpleasantness was caused when Don Wollheim and his brother Futurians were not allowed in the Convention Hall. Unquote.
- 1961 July, George H. Scithers, Amra, volume 2, number 16, page 2:
- Next ish: a guide to who is who of the Howard heroes in the centerspread.
- 1967 June, Drake Maynard, If, volume 17, number 6, page 160:
- My sincerest apologies to Brother Ron Smith in the December ish.
Derived terms
Etymology 5
Interjection
ish (comparative more ish, superlative most ish)
Related terms
See also
Etymology 6
From earlier isht, a minced oath metathetic alteration of shit.
Noun
ish (uncountable)
- (euphemistic) Shit (in various senses).
- 2010, Jill Murray, Break On Through, page 15:
- Anyone, really, but seriously, you'd think that people whose very passion depends on their lungs would want to cut that ish out
- 2012, Dipal Parikh, Walking with Krishna: Based on True Life Events, page 154:
- I owe you a lot Dipal, so put that ish away.
- 2013, Ivy McQuain, Get Your Head Out of the Clouds, This Is Business, page 25:
- Now, it's time to get your ish together.
- 2015, Ni-Ni Simone, Amir Abrams, Lights, Love & Lip Gloss, page 51:
- I passed on that craziness. I wasn't messing with that ish.
References
- (Periodical): Jeff Prucher, editor (2007), “ish”, in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, pages 101–102.
- (Periodical): Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2024), “ish n.”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.
Anagrams
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Alternative forms
Etymology
Onomatopoeic.
Verb
ish
Noun
ish
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