A Word A Day


tussie-mussie (TUS-ee-MUS-ee) or tuzzy-muzzy (TUZ-ee-MUZ-ee) noun

1. A small bouquet of flowers; a nosegay.

2. A cone-shaped holder for such a bouquet.

[Middle English tussemose, perhaps reduplication of *tusse.]

"A woman also had to be pretty precise about where she wore flowers. Say,
for instance, a suitor had sent her a tussie-mussie (a k a nosegay). If
she pinned it to the `cleavage of bosom,' that would be bad news for him,
since that signified friendship. Ah, but if she pinned it over her heart,
`That was an unambiguous declaration of love.'"
Meadow, James B., Rocky Mountain News, 26 Jan 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ia~~~

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English tussemose, perhaps reduplication of *tusse.