dotty

See also: Dotty

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɒti/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈdɑ.ti/, [ˈdɑ.ɾi]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɒti

Etymology 1

See dote, or compare totty (“unsteady, dizzy”).

Adjective

dotty (comparative dottier, superlative dottiest)

1. (British, colloquial) Mildly insane or eccentric; often, senile.

   My nan has got dottier and dottier since passing the age of eighty.

   • 1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:

     Knockers in this part of the world seem intended for ornament only, — nobody seems to pay any attention to them when they’re used. The old lady upstairs must be either deaf or dotty.

   • 1970, Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, page 45:

     Mr. Fox stopped digging and stared at Badger as though he had gone completely dotty. "My dear old furry frump," he said, "do you know anyone in the whole world who wouldn't swipe a few chickens if their children were starving to death?"

2. (UK, dated) Having an unsteady gait.

Derived terms

• dottily
• dottiness

Translations

mildly insane

Finnish: höperö (fi) Russian: чудакова́тый (ru) m (čudakovátyj)

Etymology 2

From dot +‎ -y.

Adjective

dotty (comparative dottier, superlative dottiest)

1. Having many dots.

   Look at the dotty pattern on that cheetah's fur.

Noun

dotty (plural dotties)

1. (MLE) A shotgun.
   • 2013, “Mad Years”, in Potter Payper (lyrics), Training Day, performed by Potter Payper:

     Never bummy but I'm scummy fam, I used to burgle houses
     Then some OGs was consignin me them ounces
     Wet man round me had me feeling like I’m drownin
     Fam we really went there with a brownin
     Me and next man really went there with a dotty
     05 murder squad nicked me for a [censored]

   • 2017, “Mad About Bars”, TMula (lyrics), performed by 86 (TMula x Scrams):

     They dont know what I’ve been through
     Red dot on his head like a hindu
     Scrams, Face just stack for the Wesson
     Ca’ be the gunplay that we’re into
     It’s like them man chill with the singer
     Two dot dots there in the dinger
     Yard man’s got a dotty in the rave
     But he’s still tryna do the La Linga
     We’ve had guns and shanks without awareness
     We’ve had guns and shanks we’re so fearless

   • 2017, “Next Up?”, Digga D (lyrics), performed by 1011 (Digga D x Sav'O x T.Y):

     Bro I’m booky, I’ll take your food if my belly starts rumblin
     They rap about bootings, they ain’t blammed nobody
     Hold that properly when I bang that dotty
     I put sniff in a rex, and I slang that bobby
     

   • 2020, “Respawn”, Cillian (lyrics), chorus:

     I’m out here from the night till dawn
     The dotty’s out but I like it sawn