callithump

noun — 2 senses

callithump

noun

/ˈkæ.lɪ.θʌmp/

Etymology Uncertain. Perhaps from calli- + thump, or an alteration and backformation from "Gallithumpian", a Dorset and Devon word from 1790s for a society of radical social reformers, in reference to "noisy disturbers of elections and meetings

1

US, Colloquial, Dated A somewhat riotous parade, accompanied with the blowing of tin horns and other discordant noises.

  • You probably don't know what callithump is, but you will find out if you undertake to hoe sod-ground potatoes in July. It has something to do with brazen trumpets and violence. I became acquainted with callithump when I straightened out the asparagus-bed.1919, Albert Bigelow Paine, Dwellers in Arcady: The Story of an Abandoned Farm:
2

US, Colloquial, Dated A burlesque serenade; a charivari.

Derived terms
callithumpian

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.