Bubblies

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A light and effervescent beverage often enjoyed in social settings, typically sparkling wine or champagne
2. A playful term for a lively, cheerful attitude or disposition that is often contagious
3. Describing a sense of excitement or joy that seems to overflow and create a bubbly atmosphere

Etymology: "Bubblies" is simply the plural of "bubbly," which is a formation from "bubble" plus the suffix "-y," meaning "full of" or "having the quality of." The base word "bubble" goes back to Middle English and has an uncertain origin, possibly imitative of the sound of something bubbling. Adding "-y" gave a descriptive adjective for things that were frothy, effervescent, or full of bubbles, and the suffix itself has been used this way in English for centuries, as in "sandy," "milky," and "rainy." The sense of "lively and cheerful" grew out of that physical image. A bubbly liquid fizzes and rises, so the word came to describe a person whose spirits seem to rise and sparkle in the same way. That figurative use, which carries the playful, infectious energy the meaning describes, developed from the literal sense of effervescence. The plural "bubblies" follows the usual pattern for a noun-adjective used as a noun, and is used playfully to refer to several such people or moods together.

Synonyms: sparkling wines, champagnes, sparkling drinks, carbonated beverages