Tootling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Sounding a series of short, soft notes on a horn, whistle or wind instrument ; moving along at an easy, unhurried pace in a car or other vehicle
2. Making repeated brief blasts on a whistle or horn ; driving or riding about in a relaxed, carefree manner without any urgency
3. Playing short light notes on a wind instrument or sounding a horn gently ; going along at a leisurely speed, often on a casual outing

Etymology: "Tootling" is the present participle of "tootle," so the real story belongs to its base verb. "Tootle" is formed from "toot," a word that imitates a short, sharp sound of a horn or whistle, with the suffix "-le" added. That ending is a frequentative marker: it turns a single action into a repeated or drawn-out one, so where "toot" is one blast, "tootle" is a series of soft, rather aimless toots. The suffix does its work in a long line of English verbs, such as "twinkle" from "twink" and "sparkle" from "spark," which also describe repeated or flickering versions of a simpler action. Used of a person or vehicle, "tootling" therefore describes moving along while sounding a horn or whistle now and then, which is why it often carries a faintly cheerful, unhurried tone.

Synonyms: toot, honk, beep, parp