Noddles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of thin, long pasta commonly used in various cuisines; A playful term used to refer to the act of nodding one's head; A variation of a word that may refer to noodle-like structures or forms in a non-culinary context
2. A kind of elongated pasta shape often served in soups or stir-fries; A term that might also denote spontaneous head movements in a casual manner; An informal expression that might imply whimsical or silly behavior
3. A pasta variety known for its stretchiness and versatility in dishes; A word that can denote the action of agreeing or acknowledging through a head movement; An expression potentially representing light-hearted or humorous actions

Etymology: "Noddles" is the plural of "noddle," a noun meaning the head, or more casually, the brain or wits. The plural form is the one that has spread furthest. Its best-known use today is for the long, thin strands of pasta, a sense that has largely overtaken the older meaning of the head. The head sense of "noddle" grows out of the verb "nod," which describes a quick bending of the head, often in agreement or drowsiness. A "noddle" was therefore a head thought of as something that bobs or nods, and the word came to stand for the skull and then for the mind it houses. The name has the same playful, slightly comic tone that clings to many words for the head, which is why it is often used in phrases like "use your noddle." The pasta sense is a later development, and it is the one that explains why the plural is the form people now meet most. Long, thin noodles resemble strands of hair or a tangle of wits, so the figurative link between a head and its contents seems to have carried over to the food. The plural form, once a simple count of heads, now names a bowl of soup.

Synonyms: noodles