What does tickle my fancy mean

New Word List Word List. Save This Word! We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms. Words nearby tickle one's fancy tick fever , ticking , ticklace , tickle , tickled pink , tickle one's fancy , tickler , tickler coil , tickler file , tickle the ivories , ticklish.

How to use tickle one's fancy in a sentence Added to drinking water at concentrations of around one part per million, fluoride ions stick to dental plaque. Ramona Helen Hunt Jackson. Under the entry of tickle , page , it tells us Merry-Thought I. Where and when was it first used? Did Americans use this idiom as an innuendo? Are there any examples from 18th or midth century American literature i.

Instances of tickle [your] fancy will also count. Is there a term for an expression that used to be a double entendre but is now regarded as being "normal"? Improve this question. Community Bot 1. In the appropriate context, anything can be. As Tom Lehrer puts it, "When correctly viewed, everything is lewd. Certainly the phrase "tickle your fancy" has been around and used in the US in the presence of polite women and children since the 50s, that I personally know of.

One needs to beware that, being "slang", the phrase is not apt to appear in any academic works, and so early references found would tend to be in plays and novels, where a double entendre of sorts is much more likely, if only to make it past the censors. But such a double entendre would be on the part of that writer, not implying that the phrase originated with that hidden meaning.

Mari-LouA - I've personally only heard the phrase used lewdly in "guy talk" "Boy, I'd like to tickle her fancy! I don't ever recall reading a use in that sense. But I don't really recall reading the phrase at all. Show 2 more comments.

Active Oldest Votes. Early Google Books instances of 'tickle [one's] fancy' I consider it unlikely that the phrase "tickle [one's] fancy" originated as a double entendre. One of the earliest matches for the phrase that a Google Books search finds is from The Princesse Cloria, or, The Royal Romance , spoken by man named Creses: No sooner was I come to the presence of Hercrombrotus , but according to his usual fashion of dissimulation, he received me with a most chearful countenance, seldom putting on other to his greatest enemies and withal discoursed with such loving and familiar language, as if that night I should have been his Bed-fellow, pretended onely out of affectionate confidence; which I must confess tickled my fancy , however it settled not my thoughts, since I knew not how to interpret all these alterations; especially in what concerned my Lord Arethusins affairs, appearing with a face so much now contrary to his own former professions: There is no evident sexual implication here.

Four years later, from Francis Kirkman [Richard Head , The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants , the Second Part : And because thou art as yet but a Novice in begging, and understand not the mysteries of the Canting language, to principle thee the better, thou shalt have a Doxy to be thy Companion, by whom thou maist receive fit instructions for thy purpose.

From William Allen, The Danger of Enthusiasm Discovered, in an Epistle to the Quakers : But doubtless the inward Pride, the over-valuing of your selves, which I have been admonishing you of, hath had a great hand in bringing you to it [a belief "That the Light within, without being taught by man or by the Scripture, is the Rule of Faith and Practice"].

And from William Howel, An Institution of General History, Or the History of the Ecclesiastical Affairs of the World : No sooner had he [Peuda, of Mercia] got the Power into his Hands, but he improved it for the Molestation of his Neighbours, thinking it no fault at all to disturb the World, to ruine Families, overturn Kingdoms, and destroy a Multitude of innocent Souls, and all to gratify the humour of one single Man, to tickle his fancy with the pitifull thought of domineering; the true account of the 'Actions of Conquerours, or as that little one told the greatest of them those publick Pirates who rob with whole Armies and Fleets, whose Power makes their Murthers and Robberies lawfull, and alone distinguisheth them from those puny ones, to which the Halter is appropriate.

Early EEBO instances of 'tickle [one's] fancy' [New section, April 26, ] Early English Books Online finds some additional early instances of "tickle [one's] fancy" that involve no evident double entendre. From Richard Baxter, The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite : You like that teaching that sooths you in your own opinions, and galleth not your consciences in the guilty place: A Ministry you would have, that should stand like an adorned Idol that hurts no body, and toucheth not your sores: or that is but instead of a pair of Organs, or a tinckling Cymbal, to tickle your fancy , and make Church-worship to be as a kind of religious stage-play to you.

From a translation by Percy Enderbie of Benedictus Pererius, The Astrologer Anatomiz'd, or, The Vanity of Star-Gazing Art Discovered by Benedictus Pererius : True, the vulgar who have ordinarily dull and gross intellects, apt to believe any thing which tickles their fancy ; men credulous and itching to hear novelties, are much taken with these chymera's, and give confident belief to such fopperies, and many shallow and giddy brain'd fools are taken with this vanity, rather for lucre sake then truth.

From The Gentlewoman's Companion; or A Guide to the Female Sex Containing Directions of Behaviour, in All Places, Companies, Relations, and Conditions, from Their Childhood Down to Old Age : Both these Countrys [Italy and France] have been happy, and may be justly proud in producing so many learned and ingenious men; so many, should I nominate them with their deserved Encomiums, this small Treatise would swell into Volumes; I shall therefore pass them over, but would not have you their Writings, where you shall find plenty of every thing, which shall either tickle your fancy , or furnish your understanding.

From Daniel Rogers, Matrimoniall Honovr, or, The Mutuall Crowne and Comfort of Godly, Loyall, and Chaste Marriage Wherein the Right Way to Preserve the Honour of Marriage Unstained : So it fares in other temptations, of an hideous nature, as Atheisticall thoughts against the Majesty of God, or blasphemous thoughts against the Scriptures, or the essence, and Attributes of God: the basenesse whereof the more we plod upon, especially while Satans wild fire is in the spirit the more we are snared therewith.

Tosse not thoughts off and on, about passages, which tickle the fancy , and wind in deeplier into it, then it can bee rid thereof, yea though they were most irkesome to it: But take up the sinne in the whole lumpe and bundle: muse of the bitter roote whence it comes, as David did, in his Meditations: From Edward Reynolds Bishop or Norwich , Israels Prayer in Time of Trouble, with Gods Gracious Answer Thereunto : When I heare men magnifie quaint and polite discourses in the ministry of the word, and speak against Sermons that are plaine and wholesome, I look upon it not so much as an Act of pride though the wisdome of the flesh is very apt to scorne the simplicity of the Gospel but indeed as an act of feare and cowardize ; because where all other externall trimmings and dresses are wanting to tickle the fancy , there the Word hath the more downright and sad operation upon the conscience, and must consequently the more startle and terrifie.

From Nathanael Culverwel, ' The Schisme ,' in An Elegant and Learned Discourse of the Light of Nature, with Several Other Treatises Nathanael Culverwel : And unlesse the word of God were, as the Jewes tell us of the Manna, though very fabulously, yet we have the same in the Apocrypha in the 16th of Wisdome; that whatsoever Character, or Idea of taste a man shap't to himself in his fancy when he was eating the Manna, as most pleasant and delightful to him; it serv'd to the appetite of the eater, and was temper'd to every ones liking: unlesse the word of God had so many severall relishes, agreeable to every ones liking: Even this, though Angels food shall be loathed, and nauseated, and surely this argues a carnal Spirit.

From Thoma Blount, " Instructions for Writing and addressing Letters ," in The Academie of Eloquence Containing a Compleat English Rhetorique, Exemplified with Common-places and Formes Digested into an Easie and Methodical Way to Speak and Write Fluently According to the Mode of the Present Times : And though with some men you are not to jest, or practise capricio's of wit; yet the delivery of the most weighty and important matter, may be carried with such an easie grace, as it may tickle the fancy of the Reader, and yeeld a recreation to the Writer, as Plato observes, lib.

This song shows up in multiple collections published from to Marsh, The Ten Pleasures of Marriage Relating All the Delights and Contentments That Are Mask'd Under the Bands of Matrimony : And a third again relates how her husband tarried above a fortnight from home, after that she was out of Child-bed; but comming then home, he did so claw her off and tickle her fancy for her that very precisely upon the nine months end, she was brought to bed of two children. Conclusions [Updated April 26, ] It seems very possible that the earliest wording of "tickle [one's] fancy" was actually "tickle the fancy," where the verb tickle was understood figuratively to mean something like "amuse" or "divert" and where the noun fancy was understood to refer to "imagination" or "thought" or "mental activity.

Improve this answer. Sven Yargs Sven Yargs k 30 30 gold badges silver badges bronze badges. Mari-LouA: Google Books searches turn up nothing from the seventeenth century for those search terms.

As always, Google Books search results can be unreliable. For example, a search for "with his dill doul" turns up nine matches to those words from the s ballad you cite, but the earliest publication date for those matches is for a collection of old songs reprinted by the Ballad Society. The author does quote a lot of innuendos and double entendre from Pepys Ballads , , it seems to have contained quite a saucy collection of songs.

Think: middle school. Example: "Once, twice, thrice, I Julia tried. Add a comment. What I've been able to find as of now: According to etymonline the expression to tickle one's fancy is from s The following extract suggests that the original definition may have been close to the current euphemistic one: Tickle your fancy : This idiomatic expression is used when something pleases you or strongly engages your interest, though it can also be used as a euphemism for sexual pleasure or attraction, especially in women.

Sorry, but I can't upvote twice. I was "toying" with the idea of placing a bounty but now I'm not so sure Is it worth it? I think that the 2 answers offer evidence for your first 3 questions. Read More. November 08, To top. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes. Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans. Sign up now or Log in. Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English.

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