fiddlesticks

UK /ˈfɪdl̩.stɪks/interjection, noun

fiddlesticks is spelled F-I-D-D-L-E-S-T-I-C-K-S: 12 letters. It appears about once in every 11 million words in written English, the 98,107th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an interjection, fiddlesticks means “Nonsense! Expresses dismissal or disdain” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in fiddlesticks?

Letters	12: F-I-D-D-L-E-S-T-I-C-K-S
In writing	about once in every 11 million words; the 98,107th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searched	none measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is fiddlesticks?

Fiddlesticks appears about once in every 11 million words in written English, the 98,107th most frequent word form in the list.

fiddlesticks0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

rarerper million words of written Englishmore common

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce fiddlesticks?

UK /ˈfɪdl̩.stɪks/

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-fiddlesticks.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What does fiddlesticks mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

interjection

1
Nonsense! Expresses dismissal or disdain.
Fiddlesticks! It's nothing but smoke and mirrors!
2
Darn! Expresses mild dismay or annoyance.
Oh, fiddlesticks! I locked my keys in the car.

noun

1
plural of fiddlestick (a form of fiddlestick)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Fiddlesticks in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

Language	Words
French	des clous (Expression of disbelief or disdain), zut, flute, saperlipopette (expression of mild dismay or annoyance)
Portuguese	histórias!, disparate! (Expression of disbelief or disdain), ai, bolas, apre, fosca-se (expression of mild dismay or annoyance)
Spanish	jolín, jolines, ostras (expression of mild dismay or annoyance)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does fiddlesticks come from?

Circa 1600, England. From fiddlestick, from the late Middle English fidillstyk (“violin bow”).