Waffle (speech)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term waffle denotes language without meaning; blathering, babbling, droning. One might waffle throughout an essay or a presentation, when not having enough material or needing to fill in time. Etymologists say the term was derived from waff, a 17th-century onomatopoeia for the sound a barking dog makes, similar to the modern woof. Although the relationship between a dog's bark and indecisiveness is not entirely clear, the speculation is that the words of a waffler have no more meaning than a dog barking.[citation needed]
Waffling is used as a derogatory term to describe a candidate or politician who is said to easily switch sides on issues to curry political favor. A waffle was famously used to represent President Bill Clinton in the Doonesbury comic strip.[citation needed] Synonymous with flip-flop.
In the field of medicine, the term waffle is often used pejoratively to describe the reports of radiologists, which can be wordy and ambiguous.[citation needed]
