Chivvies

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To annoy or irritate someone persistently
2. to urge or prod someone into action frequently
3. to compel through nagging or gentle pestering to complete a task

Etymology: The verb "chivvies" is simply the third-person singular form of "chivvy," so its story belongs to the older word it comes from. That story starts with a ballad. "Chivy" or "chevy" once meant a chase or hunt, and the word is thought to derive from the title of "The Ballad of Chevy Chase," which first appeared in print in "The Complaynt of Scotland" in 1549. The ballad describes a hunt on a chase, a large country estate where game was hunted, in the Cheviot Hills on the border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The ballad is thought to allude to the Battle of Otterburn in 1388, a skirmish that became a famous event in border lore. Over time, the noun for a hunt or pursuit gave rise to verbs meaning to chase or race about, and "chivvy" carried that sense of hurrying something along by pressing at its heels. The modern meaning of steady, persistent prodding to get a task finished is a gentler, figurative version of that pursuit.

Synonyms: nag, harass, hound, pester

Antonyms: ignore, leave alone