Much Ado about “Nothing”
Sweet nothings
In the process of flirting, sweet nothings are often whispered into ears. In the late 1500s
nothings was used to describe something trivial that was spoken, often to a lover. Gay
nothings or soft nothings could be uttered in intimate conversation. Since the turn of the
20th century, the preferred phrase by English-speaking romantics has been sweet
nothings. This preference is reflected in popular song names; there are no fewer than
seven songs with "sweet nothing(s)" in the title, including the Velvet Underground's "Oh!
Sweet Nuthin'" (1970) and Diana Ross' "Sweet Nothings" (1981).
Dictionary.com
Foofaraw
[foo-fuh-raw]
A foofaraw is either "a great fuss about something
insignificant" or "an excessive amount of decoration."
The term comes from the American West and is a
mutation of the Spanish fanfaron, meaning "show-off."
Are you ready for us to top the silliness of foofaraw?