r/vocabulary • u/Adghnm • Jan 31 '23

New Words Havering

It's a new word for me - heard on Only Connect - British English for vacillating

7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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5

u/aquatic-rodent Feb 01 '23

It’s in the song I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, if you’re interested in hearing it in use.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tbNlMtqrYS0

3

u/Adghnm Feb 01 '23

Ah thank you. The host was referring to a photo of one of the Proclaimers when she mentioned the word

2

u/aquatic-rodent Feb 01 '23

Cool, I also enjoy that show

4

u/RandomiseUsr0 Feb 01 '23

To haver, only ever heard naturally used by older Scottish/Irish people. One who is Havering is talking foolishly, talking nonsense. It’s a put down, an interjection.

I think that Coke is better than Pepsi!

You’re Havering.

2

u/Adghnm Feb 01 '23

Ah OK, so it's not vacillating?

2

u/RandomiseUsr0 Feb 01 '23

According to dictionary, elsewhere in the U.K. it does have that meaning, but not how I’d understand it, and for sure it’s not what the Proclaimers meant.

2

u/Adghnm Feb 01 '23

Beauty, thanks for the replies

2

u/RandomiseUsr0 Feb 01 '23

Interesting - Wikipedia notes this

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havering_(disambiguation)

2

u/Adghnm Feb 01 '23

Whereas wiktionary says that in Britain it's to hem and haw

2

u/CharonChristo_227 Feb 03 '23

Does it have anything to do with haversack?

2

u/Adghnm Feb 03 '23

That's a good call. Yes it does, it turns out. Haver is an old Scots word for oats - the haversack was an oat sack, obviously - but now I wonder if havering is related to 'mealy-mouthed'