Green’s Dictionary of Slang

fiddledeedee n.

nonsense.

1846		Bell’s Life in Sydney 29 Aug. 2/5: Broston brought a witness whose evidence went all counter to his hopes, making it all fiddle-de-dee with the case.
1846		Censor (London) 25 Jan. 3/2: All will conclude, all must agree, / That ’twas unwise of Mr. B., / To introduce such fiddle de dee.
1847		‘Epistle from Joe Muggins’s Dog’ in Era (London) 25 July 3/3: Talk of turf-honour! — all fiddle-de-dee.
1878		‘’Arry on Himself’ in Punch 21 Dec. in P. Marks (2006) 6: But to set up our style and then cut us, is all bloomin’ fiddledeedee.
1880		N.Z. Observer (Auckland) 2 Oct. 19/2: An’ hain’t to be snuffed hout by Freddy / An’ ’orsewhips an’ fiddle-de-dee.
1883		E.J. Milliken Childe Chappie’s Pilgrimage 8: Adieu! adieu! Home life’s a bore [...] Farewell, domestic fiddle-de-dee!
1887		‘’Arry at the Sea-Side’ in Punch 10 Sept. 111/2: Sweet Home is dashed fiddlededee.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 4 Mar. 1/3: A.V.G. Peel, of British Treasures, / Has been accused of writing fiddle-de-dee.
1926		Wood & Goddard Dict. Amer. Sl.
1934		D. Hammett ‘Two Sharp Knives’ in Nightmare Town (2001) 179: What’s all this? [...] This fiddledeedee, this hanky-panky.
1955		J. Morrison Black Cargo 252: This meandering aboot the bush, this hypocrisy, this fiddle-dee-dee aboot unofficial stoppages sickens me.