Doodle Once Meant a Fool
A doodle is an absent-minded drawing. The word first meant a simpleton, which is where Yankee Doodle comes in.
A doodle is a drawing made while the mind is elsewhere. The word first meant a fool or simpleton, which is why *Yankee Doodle* was originally a British insult aimed at colonial troops — the song mocked them as country bumpkins. The Americans adopted it defiantly, and it became a patriotic tune.
- An absent-minded drawing. *Doodles in the margin.*
- To draw absently. *Doodling during the meeting.*
- A fool (archaic). *A country doodle.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | doodle | A quick doodle. |
| Plural | doodles | Margin doodles. |
| Verb | doodle | Doodle on the pad. |
| Past | doodled | She doodled. |
| Related | scribble | A hasty scribble. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He doodled through the lecture.Drew absently.
- Yankee Doodle began as an insult.Adopted by its targets.
- Doodling may aid concentration.Some studies suggest it helps recall.
Insults adopted by their targets
- Yankee Doodle — a British mockery of colonial troops
- Tory — from an Irish word for outlaw
- Whig — from a Scottish term for cattle driver
- Impressionist — coined derisively by a critic
- Gothic — originally meant barbaric, applied to medieval architecture
From Low German *dudeltopf*, a simpleton. The drawing sense is twentieth century and may have been popularised by a 1936 film.
Was Yankee Doodle an insult?
Yes. British soldiers sang it to mock colonial troops as unsophisticated, and the Americans adopted it in defiance.
Does doodling help concentration?
Some research suggests light doodling can improve recall during dull tasks by keeping attention from wandering entirely.