Give It a Whirl Means Give It a Try
To whirl is to spin rapidly. The word supplies English with images of speed and confusion.
To whirl is to spin rapidly, and a whirl is such a movement. *Give it a whirl*, meaning to try something, is American from the early 1900s and probably comes from spinning a wheel or handle to start a machine. *In a whirl* means confused, from the disorientation of spinning. Old Norse *hvirfla* is the source, and the same root gives *whirlpool*, *whirlwind* and *whorl*, the spiral pattern on a fingertip.
- To spin rapidly. *Whirling leaves.*
- Give it a whirl — try it. *Give it a whirl.*
- In a whirl — confused. *My head is in a whirl.*
- Whirlwind — a spinning wind. *A whirlwind.*
- Old Norse — *hvirfla*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | whirl | Whirl. |
| Past | whirled | Whirled. |
| Noun | whirl | A whirl. |
| Compound | whirlpool | A whirlpool. |
| Related | whorl | A whorl. |
- Leaves whirled in the wind.Motion.
- Give it a whirl.Idiom.
- The week passed in a whirl.Confusion.
The whirl family
- Whirlpool — a spinning body of water
- Whirlwind — a rotating column of air, and a rapid courtship
- Whorl — a spiral, as on a fingertip or a shell
- Whirligig — a spinning toy, and anything constantly turning
- Twirl — possibly a blend of twist and whirl
Old Norse *hvirfla*, to go round, related to Old English *hweorfan*, to turn.
Where does give it a whirl come from?
American English of the early 1900s, probably from spinning a wheel or crank handle to start a machine.
What is a whorl?
A spiral or coiled pattern, as in a fingerprint or a snail shell, from the same root as whirl.