The correct spelling of the phrase "wast a busybody" is "wast thou a busybody." The word "thou" was commonly used in Early Modern English as a singular second-person pronoun, which has been replaced by "you" in modern English. In IPA phonetic transcription, the pronunciation of "wast thou a busybody" would be /wɑːstðaʊə'bɪzi'bɒdi/. This phrase, which appears in 1 Timothy 5:13 of the King James Version of the Bible, cautions against idleness and gossiping.