Vocab Day- Bandy

In case you ever need a word to rhyme with "candy," Je vous présente...




Bandy (v. trans.)




New Oxford American Dictionary says...


1. pass on or discuss an idea or rumor in a casual way
2. exchange; pass back and forth


phrases: bandy words with- argue pointlessly or rudely




Wiktionary says...


1. to give and receive reciprocally; to exchange
2. to use or pass about casually




Merriam-Webster says...


1. to bat (as a tennis ball) to and fro

2. a) to toss from side to side or pass about from one to another often in a careless or                   

        inappropriate manner

    b) exchange; esp. to exchange (words) argumentatively

    c) to discuss lightly or banteringly

    d) to use in a glib or offhand manner- often used with about

3. archaic : to band together

Cambridge Dictionary of American English says...

1. to talk about (something) without careful consideration

["Bandy" also has an adjectival meaning, which I have omitted because I'm narrowing the focus of Vocab-Day to verbs until I get through "z." Oh no! I've just revealed my evil plan! Eh, whatever.]

Some examples:

From this Los Angeles Times article:

"Tea is said to stimulate more of the human palate than nearly any other food, except the grape. And although the French may bandy about the term terroir to denote the unique environmental character of wine, tea—without the snooty terminology—is a truer terroir product."

From this NPR story on recession slang:

"Not much good has come out of the recession from which we seem to be slowly emerging. But at least it's left us with some new slang to bandy about, the most popular probably being 'staycation' — that trip you didn't take last summer."

And finally, an example from E.E. Cummings' "the Cambridge ladies who lived in furnished souls"

the Cambridge ladies who live in furnished souls
are unbeautiful and have comfortable minds
(also, with the church's protestant blessings
daughters, unscented shapeless spirited)
they believe in Christ and Longfellow,both dead,
are invariably interested in so many things-
at the present writing one still finds
delighted fingers knitting for the is it Poles?
perhaps.   While permanent faces coyly bandy
scandal of Mrs. N and Professor D
....the Cambridge ladies do not care,above
Cambridge if sometimes in its box of
sky lavender and cornerless, the
moon rattles like a fragment of angry candy

(See? SEE? It rhymes with "candy.")

Diagram 2-a

A child bandies candies with his grandpa.