Meddlesome Mattie

noun

Meddlesome Mat·​tie

-ˈmatē

plural -s

: busybody, meddler

when men insist that morality is more than that, they are quickly denounced, in general correctly, as Meddlesome Matties

—Walter Lippmann

Word History

Etymology

after Meddlesome Matty, subject of a poem of the same name by Ann Taylor †1866 American writer

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!