a gaggle of giggling angels

BEIJING — On Friday morning, Hillary Rodham Clinton was the picture of a stern superpower diplomat, warning North Korea not to test a long-range ballistic missile. A few hours later, she was asked by a giggly Korean student how she knew she had fallen in love with her husband.



A Spin on Christmas Traditions
Mary and Joseph were heading for the stage, along with a beatific baby Jesus. Crowding in were shepherds, their flocks, wise men, a gaggle of giggling angels -- and a traffic report.
(By Jacqueline L. Salmon, The Washington Post)

gaggle

n.

1. A flock of geese. See synonyms at flock¹.
2. A cluster or group: “A gaggle of photographers huddled on the sidewalk beside a swelling crowd of onlookers” (Gioia Diliberto).

[Middle English gagel, from gagelen, to cackle, probably of imitative origin.]

giggle Show phonetics
verb [I]
to laugh repeatedly in a quiet but uncontrolled and childish way, often at something silly or rude or when you are nervous:
Stop that giggling at the back!

giggle Show phonetics
noun
1 [C] a nervous or silly laugh:
There were a few nervous giggles from people in the audience.
I caught Roz having a giggle over some of Janet's awful poetry.

2 [S] UK INFORMAL something which is amusing, often when it involves laughing at someone else:
Just for a giggle, we hid his trousers while he was in the water.

the giggles plural noun INFORMAL
when you can't stop giggling:
I often used to get/have the giggles in lectures when I was at college.

giggler Show phonetics
noun [C]
a person who often giggles

giggly Show phonetics
adjective MAINLY DISAPPROVING
giggling a lot:
There were a load of giggly school-kids at the back of the bus.

gig・gle

━━ vi. くすくす笑う ((at)).
━━ vt. けらけら笑って…を表す.
━━ n. くすくす笑い; 〔英話〕 （単数形で） 面白さ.
giggle-smoke　〔米俗〕 マリファナ.
gig・gly　━━ a. （やたらに）くっくっと笑う.