jibble n

jibble n Also chibble Cf jibble v, schnibble n

A small amount; a scrap, fragment.

1937 Harrisburg Telegraph (PA) 15 Jan 8/6, Paul Walker asks if I have ever heard the word “jibble.” “Certainly,” said I, “Only a jibble of cream left in the pitcher.” 1978 Chicago Tribune (IL) 26 Mar sec 11 11/1, It’s easier to fry this ground-up bacon than it is to to peel each piece of bacon laboriously apart and attempt to fry all those little “jibbles.” [DARE Ed: Letter to “Hints from Heloise” column] 1988 Caldwell Watchman–Progress (Columbia LA) 13 Apr 2/1, Tuesday there was a notebook, three shirts, a potholder, . . and several jibbles of paper on the living room floor. 1992 Houston Chron. (TX) 5 Apr Sec G 4 TX, Not much: Just a chibble. 1997 Index–Jrl. (Greenwood SC) 16 July sec B 3/1, West and her servers can top your favorite ice cream with any amount of goopy toppings, candy jibbles and nutty crunchies. 2003 in 2019 DARE File—Internet, My grandmother uses the word chibble sometimes. She uses it as an adjective [sic] meaning a “small portion of.” . . She’s from the Carlolinas [sic] and lived mostly in the South except for a short time in Guam. 2011 Ibid ceMA, My mother sometimes used the word “chibbles” to refer to small bits of debris such as those that resulted from kids playing with scissors. . . [Comment:] The definition that your mother gave was always what I had heard for the term. I remember it being used quite a bit in that context when I was growing up in the Boston area in the 70’s and 80’s. 2012 Ibid OH, My mother, born in 1903 in Columbus, Ohio, . . used “chibbles” referring to small bits of paper, fluff, or food spotted on the carpet. Ibid cTX, Why am I using this little jibble of Christmas wrapping paper for my notes[?] 2014 Ibid OH, All my life, I have used chibble in two ways, both of which I got from my maternal grandmother. . . 2. “chibbles” as in little bits or pieces of something . . , as in “vacuum up all those chibbles of ribbon and paper before your aunt and her family come by to exchange Christmas presents.” or “clean those chibbles of salad fixings off the counter.” referring to little bits of celery, onions, radishes etc. which hied themselves off the chopping board. Grandmother’s family was frrom Virginia, and there is some German background in the line.