Hoity-toity

Hoity-toity is a rhyming jingle that derives from the now obsolete verb hoit meaning to indulge in riotous or noisy mirth. The OED attests this usage from 1594 and states that the etymological origin of hoit is unknown. Hoity-toity, on the other hand, first makes it appearance from the mid-1600s when it meant riotous or giddy behaviour, which is close to the original verb just described. Hoity-toity’s current meaning describing an air of superiority or snobbishness, according to the OED, is first attested from the late 17th/early 18th century.