Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dick whittington

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.59 in modern English

Syllables: dick- whit-ting-ton
IPA

29

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Somebody who moves to London in the hope of better prospects.

British usage

Example Sentences

""Fine! Ye couldn't beat it. And you'd go off to London, or some such place—" "I should like it to be London." "Oh, of course; there's plenty of Dick Whittingtons left yet. But there's more petrol than pearls about the London pavement now. […]"
"Britain's twenty-somethings have become iPod-carrying Dick Whittingtons, drawn to London by the prospect of large salaries and hopes of a vibrant social life."

Etymology

After Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423), English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London and financed various public projects. He is remembered in a pantomime called Dick Whittington and His Cat, in which he sets out for London to make his fortune.

Usage

British usage

Inflected Forms

Dick Whittingtons (plural)

Questions

What does dick whittington mean?: Somebody who moves to London in the hope of better prospects.
Where does dick whittington come from?: After Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423), English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London and financed various public projects. He is remembered in a pantomime called Dick Whittington and His Cat, in which he sets out for London to make his fortune.

How to pronounce dick whittington

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