What does 'Tiddy-fol-lol' mean?
In A Man From the North by Arnold Bennett (1898), the main figure wants to write a book called: 'Tiddy-fol-lol'. This is the text:
The story which he was going to write was called 'Tiddy-fol-lol'. The leading character was an old smith, to be named Downs, employed in the forge of a large iron foundry at Bursley. When his daughter fell in love and married a sceneshifter at the local Theatre, she received for dowry a father's curse. Once, in the foundry, Downs in speaking of the matter had referred to his daughter as no better than a 'Tiddy-fol-lol.'... 'The other lads saw a chance for fun, pointing out Downs to him in the forge, they told him to go close to the man and say 'Tiddy-fol-lol'.
My question is, what's the meaning of Tiddy-fol-lol? Does anybody needs more information about it?
Solution 1:
A store in Sydney, New South Wales, posted an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald (March 21, 1883) for sheet music for songs and dances. The "Dance" category includes these songs:
Tiddy-fol-lol Waltz, 2s; Rip Van Winkle, 2s; Iolanthe, 2s; Sunshine Waltz, 2s; Twilight Chimes Waltz, 2s; Venetia Waltz, 2s; Sheard's Dance Album for 1883, 2s; Garden Palace Schottische, 2s. ¡all the rage in Sydney).
So for 2 shillings you could add the "Tiddy-fol-lol Waltz" to your dance music repertoire.
Two years later (July 11, 1885), the same newspaper ran an advertisement for the Gaiety Theatre that included this item on the bill of fare:
MAY LIVINGSTON, the Little Black Topsy, will sing TIDDY-FOL-LOL, her great masher song, also "Meet me when the sun goes don," "GOING BACK TO DIXIE," &c.
It thus appears that in Sydney, in the space of two scant years, "Tiddy-Fol-Lol" had expanded from a dance number to a "great masher song." A page on the Lyrics: A Casque of Vocal Gems from the Golden Age of Music Hall website, however, is devoted the the lyrics to the song "Tiddy-Fol-Lol," written by Tom Brown and Fred Bullen in 1870, and most notably performed in England by Nelly Power, who died in 1887 at the age of 34:
There's a party I know, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ He considers he's a beau, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ He's no lardy dardy swell,/ Though he looks and dresses well,/ For he lives at an hotel, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
He's got ten thousand a year, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ Moustachios down to here, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ And at pic-nic, fete, or ball,/ With the ladies great and small,/ He is the don of all, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
He keeps racehorses and hounds, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ Has a shooting box and grounds, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ At the Theatre he's the sage,/ For he goes behind the stage,/ Flirting with some charming page, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
He drinks champagne at the bar, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ Smokes Intimidad cigars, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ When he canters down the mile,/ The duchesses all smile,/ They do so like his style, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
He's been single all his life, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ Though it's thought he wants a wife, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol,/ But his parent gained renown,/ As a tailor up in town,/ And his ancient name is Brown, tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
Presumably that song inspired this political parody, which appeared in "Members' Expenses Bill," in the [Brisbane] Queensland Figaro (July 18, 1885):
Boyd Dunlop Morehead curdled here the mild debate with rennet, and said the principle was bad and he was dead agen it. Besides, he knew hon. Members who would only take such fees, in order that they might give them to District Charities.
No Morehead, stay your song/ While I troll forth a song.
I'm a Member, you must know,/ Tiddy-fol-lol,/ A dead-head where'er I go,/ Tiddy-fol-lol;/ And I'm paid, per sittings rate,/ By a bountiful good State,/ And my fees accumulate,/ Tiddy-fol-lol, tiddy-fol-lol.
Do I ever give it back?/ Tiddy-fol-lol,/ Not a single, blessed plack,/ Tiddy-fol-lol;/ Nor approve I of disparities,/ Nor of politician's rarities;/ No. And as for District Charities?—/ Why, Tiddy-fol-lol, tiddy-fol-lol!
And another political satire based on the song—this time in "Music Hall Melody," in the British monthly The Democrat (November 1, 1887), which begins as follows:
There's a fellah that I know,/ Tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol./ He's the head of the Tory show,/ Tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol./ He knows no working men,/ Though he might when out again,/ But they'll have to wait till them,/ Tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
For he's got 10,000 a year./ Tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol./ And he's what they call a peer,/ Tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol./ But his time is going past,/ As his party cannot last,/ For it's breaking up so fast,/ Tiddy fol lol, tiddy fol lol.
...
Other notices of the original (or updated) "Tiddy-fol-lol" appear in "The Prebyterian Concert at Warwick," in the Warwick [Queensland] Examiner and Times (November 21, 1885):
Mr. Bastick set hands, walking sticks, and feet at work on the completion of his first item—"The Anchor's Weighed." He responded to a pronounced encore with the comic piece "Tiddy-fol-lol," in lively style.
and from the [Sydney, New South Wales] Arrow (April 30, 1898):
A correspondent complains in the STAGE of the scarcity of first-class serio comics on the London variety stage of late, and harks back to the time "when we were appearing at our London music halls at the same time some of the best talent they have ever known, viz., Nellie Power, Bessie Bellwood, Vesta Tilley, Annie Milburn (a clever mimic, who made a big rage in her imitations of Nelly Power in "Tiddy-fol-lol" and others), Bessie Bonehill, Harriett Vernon, the Sisters Leamar and Marie Loftus.
And from "Lawn Tennis," in the [Perth] West Australian (May 18, 1912), we have this generic use of the term:
In its quest for the Davis Cup, the outside world is up against organized Australasia, but in their legitimate desire to participate in the improving experience of witnessing a challenge round four-sixths of the constituent Australian States are up against an unwritten and unholy combination between Melbourne and Sydney. The plea of adverse climatic conditions is mere tara-diddle, and that of the £.s.d. tiddy-fol-lol, while as for November being the earliest practicable time, we could with perfect confidence schedule the matches for December.
"Tiddy-fol-lol' before the song "Tiddy-Fol-Lol
As Fumblefingers' comment above suggests, the syllables "tiddy-fol-lol" (or in some cases, "tiddy-fol, etc.") appear in a number of books published before 1870. Most of these instances involve the refrains of popular or made-up songs. Here some of them. From "The London Mathews: Containing an Account of this Celebrated Comedian's Trip to America" (1824):
I am a merry boy,/ I do my time employ,/ Jesting, and joking, and laughing, fol lol./ Tol de rol, lol de rol,/ Tiddy fol lol de rol,/ Ri tol lidde lol, fol de rol lay.
From "Pat M'Garadie's," in The Irish Comic Vocalist's Companion (1854):
Fire away, lads, there's plenty o' more,/ Taste your lips wid the raraties,/ There's mate and drink in the store,/ And lodgings in Pat M'Gamdie's./ Tiddy fol lol lol, &c.
From "Villikins and His Dinah," in Cuthbert Bede, Motley: Prose and Verse : Grave and Gay (1855):
(Spoken.) This here's the moral, which I puts into the middle of the song.
So, all you old tyriants wot countries does bone,/ Never not by no means prig that which ain't your own;/ For, if you would covet each land you sets eyes on,/ The whole Constitootional system you'd pison!/ System you'd pison! System you'd pison!
(Spoken.) And then you wouldn't have any spirits to sing
Ri tol looral, lal looral, ri tiddy fol lol lay.
(Spoken.) And then there'd be no prospect of a chorus of outraged Constantinopolitan Constitootionalists, all vociferating and ejaculating
Ri tol looral, lal looral, ri tiddy fol lol lay
From Francis Burnand, Lord Lovel and Lady Nancy Bell; or, the Bounding Brigand of the Bakumboilum (1856):
R[umtifoozle]. Further first myself I'll see!
Lady N[ancy]. [Imploringly] Tiddy fol, etc.
R. [With determination] Tiddy fol, etc.
Lady N. [More imploringly] Tiddy fol, etc.
R. [With greater determination] Tiddy fol, etc.
From George Emmett, Frank Fearless, Or, The Cruise of the Firebrand (1860):
That's the song," hiccupped Mr. Praywell, making a wild clutch at the marine, who was on duty, to support himself, “ but where the deuce I—Rum-ti-tiddy fol-lol—"
From "The Horrors of the Wilds," in The Boys Miscellany (March 7, 1863):
Neither buffaloes nor monkeys,/ Nor the possum up a tree,/ Nor the raccoon nor the skunk is/ Half so great a beast as me./ Tiddy, fol, looral, looral, &c.
I wish I vos a Rum-ti-foo-ty/ In the woods of Car-ri-boo,/ I shouldn't have to larn my dooty/ From a clever man like you./ Tiddy, fol, looral, looral, &c.
But if I vos a Cass-o-wa-ry/ On the plains of Timbuctoo,/ I'd swallow up a mis-si-o-nary,/ Hat and boots and hymn-book, too./ Tiddy fol, ——
From Edward Blanchard, Number Nip; or, Harlequin and the Gnome King of the Giant Mountain (1866):
HANS. Then now, boy,/ Shear the sheep, and quickly jog./ Tiddy fol-de-ral, &c.
NIP. Here's my hand, and thus I squeeze you.
HANS. Don't do that again I pray.
NIP. I will play such pranks to teaze you.
HANS. What's your little game?
NIP. An't please you,/ Eez, I wool, I meant to say./ Tiddy fol-de-ral, &c.
From "Answers to Correspondents," in Fun magazine (March 3, 1866):
TIDDY FOL LOL.—The jokes are too "tiddy" for us.
From two songs two songs—"A Motley Melody" and "The Way the Money Goes"—in John Poole, Champagne Charley Songster: Containing a Choice collection of Comic Songs and Humorous Ballads (1867):
The moon was shining silver bright;/ All bloodless lay th' untrodden snow,/ When freedom from her mountain height/ Exclaimed, "Now don't be foolish, Joe."/An hour passed and the Turk awoke,/ A bumble bee went thundering by,/ To hover in the Sulphur smoke,/ Dear mother, I've come home to die,/ Tiddy fol, etc.
[and]
We find throughout this earthly ball,/ The one thing needful governs all,/ Big and little, dunces, scholars,/ Nothing's done without the dollars;/ That specie's out of date, you know,/ And greenbacks now are all the go,/ And as abroad the paper flows,/ It's awful how the mony goes./ Tiddy fol, etc.
And from "Wandering," in Banter magazine (September 2, 1867):
No, Sir ; in those halcyon days of youth I stood undaunted—yes, I may say I stood undaunted, without fear or awe, on some safe spot—say the per at Ramsgate—and gazed on the hungry greedy waters, ever ready to swallow up the mariner—hardy feller—tossed by the storm on the heaving bust—that is, bosom—of the deep with pleasure—yes, Sir, I gazed on them with pleasure—nay, with pride—for may I not say, "They belong to an Englishman—they are his boast, deny it who can, with his iddity, iddity, tiddy fol lol, &c. kc. &c.
Conclusion
"Tiddy-fol-lol" seems to have begun as a nonsense song phrase along the lines of "tra-la-la" or "diddy-wah-diddy" or "hey nonny nonny" Though it appears in multiple song refrains between 1824 and 1867, it probably owes its special prominence from 1870 forward to the very popular comic song "Tiddy-Fol-Lol," written in Great Britain in that year and performed to great audience enthusiasm by Nelly Power and others in music halls in Britain, Australia, and elsewhere for at least the next three decades. As it happens, Nelly Power's other biggest hit, according to Your Own, Your Very Own! A Music-Hall Scrapbook (1971) was "La-di-da"—a century before Annie Hall.
Possibly related: The noun folderol (which dates to 1820) had its origin in nonsense syllables in old songs. Here is the entry for folderol in Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003):
folderol also falderal {fol-de-rol, a nonsense refrain in songs} 1 : a useless ornament or accessory: TRIFLE 2 : NONSENSE
In Bennet's story, the girl's father seems to equate "tiddy-fol-lol" with theatrical or music-hall nonsense or depravity. It seems unlikely to be merely a coincidence that she has married a scene-shifter at the local theater, where performances may have included renditions of the popular song "Tiddy-Fol-Lol." In any case the 1912 Australian news story about Davis Cup tennis uses "tiddy-fol-lol" as a synonym for claptrap, twaddle, eyewash, hooey, bullcorn, etc., fourteen years after Bennett's novel A Man from the North was published and seven years after his short-story collection Tales of the Five Towns (which includes the short story "Tiddy-Fol-Lol") was published.
Interested readers should compare the excerpt from A Man from the North posted in the question above with the relevant portion of the later short story "Tiddy-Fol-Lol":
There was only one blot—but how foul!—on Eli Machin's career, and that had been dropped by his daughter Miriam, when, defying his authority, she married a scene-shifter at Hanbridge Theatre. The atrocious idea of being connected with the theatre had rendered him speechless for a time. He could but endure it in the most awful silence that ever hid passionate feeling. Then one day he had burst out, 'The wench is no better than a tiddy-fol-lol!' Only this solitary phrase–nothing else.
What a tiddy-fol-lol was no one quite knew; but the word, getting about, stuck to him, and for some weeks boys used to shout it after him in the streets, until he caught one of them, and in thirty seconds put an end to the practice.