noddle
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /nˈɒdəl/
US
- /ˈnɑdl/
Description
- head
- brain
- mind
Your noddle is your head, the part sitting on top of your shoulders. This old-fashioned, playful word is often used when someone is talking about thinking as well as the head itself. "Use your noddle!" simply means "Think about it!"
The word has been around for a very long time and has a light, joking feel. It can mean your actual head or, more loosely, your brain or mind. If someone says, "She's got a good noddle," they mean she's clever. In some places, especially in American English, you may hear "noodle" used in a similar way.
Noddle is an informal, old-fashioned word for "head." It can point to the physical head itself, but people also use it in a looser way to mean the brain or mind. You are most likely to see it in British English, older writing, or playful speech. For example, someone might say, "He got a bump on the noddle," or "Use your noddle," meaning "Think."
The tone is light and a little humorous. It is not a formal word, so it fits best in casual conversation, stories, or writing that wants to sound warm, old-fashioned, or joking. When people use it, they are usually trying to sound friendly rather than serious.
The word has been in English for centuries. Because of that, it can feel slightly dated today, but it is still easy to understand from context. In some varieties of English, especially American English, "noodle" can be used in a similar way to mean the head or the brain.
So if you are talking about someone's head, praising them for being smart, or telling them to think a bit harder, noddle is a playful old word that does the job well.
Examples
- 1
Head injury
He bumped his noddle on the low doorway.
- 2
Thinking
Use your noddle: the answer is right in front of you.
Phrase
use your noddle
think
- 3
Memory
It took me a while to get the dates straight in my noddle.
Usage
in your noddle
in your mind; informal and old-fashioned
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- noddlenoun