Silly, foolish, or mischievous behavior; playful pranks or nonsense without serious intent.
From 'Tom Fool,' a figure of medieval European tradition representing stupidity, combined with '-ery' suffix meaning 'behavior.' The term emerged in the 1600s.
Words like 'tomfoolery' and 'balderdash' show how English created character-based insults—'Tom' and 'Bald' became types of people, making the behaviors themselves memorable and fun!
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