TUESDAY, APRIL 7

Fandangle

[fan-DAYN-ɡəl]Part of speech: noun

Origin: unknown, 19th century

A useless or purely ornamental thing.

Examples of Fandangle in a sentence

I couldn’t resist buying the little fandangle at the beachside souvenir store.
Her wedding dress was covered in bows and lace and fandangles.

About Fandangle

There’s not much use for this object, but it sure is pretty. Maybe you have a cabinet full of knick-knacks, or your bed is covered with ornamental pillows. Anything with purely decorative potential, but no real use — that’s a fandangle.

Did you Know?

Fandangle can’t be traced back to a specific root language, but it’s safe to assume it’s related to fandango. This is the name for a lively Spanish dance accompanied by a tambourine, or the name for an elaborate process or activity. Fandangle came about in the 19th century, likely as an alteration of the second definition of fandango.