General
viddy
What does viddy mean?
Often heard as an imperative inviting someone to look at a spectacle.
"Viddy this, he says, holding up the stolen britva."
Origin
Coined by Burgess in A Clockwork Orange (1962) from the Russian 'videt', 'to see', with a likely deliberate echo of Latin 'video'. Popularised further by Kubrick's 1971 film and its 'viddy well' tagline.
Frequently asked questions
What does viddy mean?
To viddy is Nadsat for to see or watch, from the Russian verb 'videt', to see.
Where does the phrase 'viddy well' come from?
It appears in A Clockwork Orange around Alex's aversion therapy and was amplified by Kubrick's 1971 film.
Is viddy connected to the word video?
The root is Russian 'videt', but Burgess likely welcomed the resemblance to Latin 'video', 'I see'.
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