|
VRAY ADJ. true ...1460-1 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from Old French vray (French vrai [true]), reduced form of verai (very adj.) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1460-1 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...in this present parlement assembled, and by auctorite therof, ordeyned and stablisshed that his derrest cousyn Richard, vray and rightfull heire of the reaumes of Englond and Fraunce, and of the lordship and land of Ireland, duc of York, have and take uppon hym the charge and labour to ride into the parties of the seid realme of Englond and Wales, where the seid rebellions, murdres, riottes, spoilyng, extorsions and oppressions be used, committed and attempted, to represse, subdue and appese them, and also to resist his seid enemyes of Fraunce and Scotland within his said realme..." From: The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, 1275–1504 The Roll of the Parliament of the First Year of Henry IV, Oct. 1460 - Edited by Chris Given-Wilson
0 Comments
SOBERTY NOUN sobriety; the quality of being sober or moderate in the indulgence of appetite; moderation in the use of strong drink ...1303 obs. ETYMOLOGY from Old French sobreté, soberté, from Latin sōbrius (sober) + -ty FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1303 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Or. þou ledyst. any man to þe ale And madest hym drunk with troteuale, And he solde hys þyng to þe More þan he wulde yn soberte, Hyt semeþ þou art a gylour, And coueytous, and trechour..." From: Robert of Brunne's "Handlyng Synne" - Robert Mannyng TRADITIOUS ADJ. of the nature of tradition; that has been passed down as a tradition; traditional ...1612 obs. ETYMOLOGY from Latin tradit-, past participial stem of trādere (to hand over, to deliver, to relate, to tell of) + -ious FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1612 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...where the people leaue the right arms of their Infants males vnchristned (as they terme it) to the end that at any time afterwards, they may giue a more deadly, and vngratious blow when they strike: which things do not only shew how palpably they are carried away by traditious obscurities, but doe also intimate how full their hearts bee of inueterate reuenge..." From: The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine Presenting an Exact Geography of the Kingdomes of England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Iles Adioyning: With the Shires, Hundreds, Cities and Shire-Townes, Within Ye Kingdome of England, Divided and Described by Iohn Speed - John Speed BINGY ADJ. of milk: in the first stage of turning sour ...1857 Eng. dial. NOUN (also BINGEE, BINGEY, BINGIE, BINJY) the stomach, the belly ...1859 Aust. sl. ETYMOLOGY adj. - from bing (vb. of milk: to being to turn sour) + -y n. - Aboriginal FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1857- see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE (adj.) "...one of those ordered was rice boiled in water, and eaten with a sauce of treacle and sugar; but it was often uneatable, because the water had been taken out of the rain tub. and was strongly impregnate with the dust lodging on the roof, whence it had trickled down into the old wooden cask, which also added its own flavour to that of the original rain water. The milk, too, was often "bingy," to use a country expression for a kind of taint that is far worse than sourness, and suggests the idea that it is caused by want of cleanliness about the milk pans, rather than by the heat of the weather..." From: The Life of Charlotte Brontë - Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell EXAMPLE (noun) "..."O my ____" (colonial oath!) said the other: "O my ____ 'cabbage-tree!' So there's going to be a coil about that scrubby little myrnonger; eh? Don't you fret your bingy, boss; he'll be as good a man as his father yet..." From: The Recollections of Geoffry Hamlyn - Henry Kingsley REGIFICAL ADJ. royal, noble, stately; magnificent, lavish, sumptuous, pompous ...1656 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from Latin rēgificus (fit for a king, royal, sumptuous) + -al FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1656 - Regifical, (regificus) royal, princely, pompous, sumptuous From: Glossographia; Or, A Dictionary Interpreting all Such Hard Words, whether Hebrew, Greek or Latin... as are now used in our refined English tongue CHANTOOSIE also CHANTOOSE, CHANTOOZIE NOUN a female singer of popular songs ...1940 US colloq. ETYMOLOGY from French chanteuse + -y FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1940 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Hildegarde, the international chantoosie from Milwaukee..." From: The Nevada State Journal Sept, 15, 1940 NOBBLERIZE also NOBBLERISE VERB to drink alcohol, especially in company or as a frequent practice; to drink 'nobblers' ...1847 obs. Aust. sl. ETYMOLOGY from nobbler (n. a small quantity of alcoholic drink) + -ize FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1847 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Yesterday a woman named Maria King alias Sullivan, was brought before the Mayor's Court, charged with having made rather free with the pockets of a man of the name of John Coombes, whilst he was comfortably nobblerizing in the William Tell, on Monday evening..." From: The Port Phillip Gazette Wed 30 June 1847, Page 2 - Domestic Intelligence, "A Light-Fingered Lady" PEAGOOSE NOUN a dolt, a fool; a simpleton, a silly fellow ...1606 obs. ETYMOLOGY of uncertain origin; possibly an alteration of peak-goose (n. a dolt, a fool), or humorously from pea (n. a peafowl) + goose (n.) after peacock FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1606 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Your Lordship has the right garbe of an excellent Courtier, respects a Clowne, supple ioynted, courtesies a verie peagoose; tis stiffe ham'd audacity that carries it; get once within their distance, and you are in their bosoms instantly..." From: Monsieur D'Oliue A Comedie, as it vvas sundrie times acted by her Maiesties children at the Blacke-Friers - George Chapman YEVERY ADJ. 1. very hungry; ravenous ...1531 rare Sc. & Eng. dial. 2. greedy, voracious; eager, anxious ...1896 rare Sc. & Eng. dial. ETYMOLOGY from yever (adj. greedy, gluttonous, covetous) + -y FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1531 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...satt with litill displeseir, and gif thai wer skalit, vtheris, quhilkis wer moir ȝevery [1821 yevery] and tvme, suld lycht in thair rowmes..." From: The History and Chronicles of Scotland Written in Latin by Hector Boece Translated by John Bellenden MOLESTUOUS ADJ. troublesome, burdensome, annoying; troubled ...a1572 obs. ETYMOLOGY irregularly from classical Latin molestus (troublesome, burdensome, annoying) + -uous FIRST DOCUMENTED USE a1572 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...We acknowledge, O Lord, that afflictions are molestuous, noisome, and hard to be borne with of frail flesh, but Christ Jesus hath suffered heavier torments forus, and we have deserved more than we sustain, who so oft have merited the very hells..." From: The Book of Common Order - John Knox RIPSTAVER NOUN an impressive, exceptional, or first-rate person or thing; something or someone who is exceptionally remarkable in appearance, quality, strength, etc. ...1828 US colloq. ETYMOLOGY from rip (vb. to tear, pull, or cut away from something else forcefully or vigorously) + stave (vb. to break up (a cask) into staves; to break into and let out the contents_ + -er FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1828 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...She beheld him striding down the street, lustily exclaiming to himself, ‘She’s a ripstaver, so help me Davy Rachel!’..." From: The Bower of Taste A Boston magazine edited by Mrs. Katharine A. Ware HOBHOUCHIN also HOBHOWCHIN NOUN an owl ...1682 obs. exc. Eng. dial. ETYMOLOGY from hob (n. a variation of the Christian name Robert or Robin, hence formerly a generic name for a rustic, a clown) + houchin (n. an owl) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1682 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...How would you sneak, vile Souls, if at the Barr, My daily sport, you met with horrid Warr? How would you stand a tedious Chanc'ry Hearing, If poor Hobhowchin puts you in this fearing? How would your hearts misgive to bide a Triall, No Friend at Hand, nor in your Purse a Ryall?..." From: Le Lutrin an Heroick Poem - Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux Translated by N.O. FIDFAD ADJ. 1. frivolous, fussy, petty ...1830 2. insignificant; trivial; worthless ...Bk1942 Am. sl. NOUN 1. one who gives fussy attention to trifles; one who is over-nice and particular; a fastidious person ...1754 2. a petty matter of detail, a crotchet, a trifle ...1875 3. a slow pace ...Bk1900 Eng. dial. VERB to go slowly; to waste time; to fuss, to trifle, to potter about ...Bk1875 Eng. dial. ETYMOLOGY short for fiddle-faddle (n. adj. & int.) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1754 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...The eldest of my cousins is a very jolly free-hearted girl, and so great an enemy to all kinds of form, that you seldom see her with so much as a pin in her gown; while the youngest, who thinks in her heart that her sister is no better than a slattern, runs into the contrary extreme, and is, in everything she does, an absolute fidfad. She takes up almost as much time to put on a gown, as her sister does to dirty one..." From: The World No. 95. Thursday, October 24, 1754 :To Mr. Fitz-Adam." Edited by Edward Moore SECTIUNCLE also SECTIUNCULE NOUN 1. a small section ...1838 rare 2. a small, insignificant religious body; a little or petty sect ...1851 rare ETYMOLOGY from Latin type *sectiuncula, a diminutive of sectiōn-em FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1838 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...I think you will not find the manuscript very difficult to make out, though it is strangely cut in pieces and patched. I have divided it all through into sectiuncules, occupying generally from half a page to a whole one..." From: Memoirs of James Robert Hope-Scott of Abbotsford: With Selections From His Correspondence - Robert Ornsby, 1884 Taken from correspondence by W. E. Gladstone, Esq., M.P. to J. R. Hope, Esq. House of Commons: July 18, 1838 CIRCUMFLORIBUS ADJ. flowery and long-winded, full of elaborate language ...1739 obs. humorous nonce word ETYMOLOGY from Latin circum + flōribus, ablative plural of flōs (flower) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1739 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Everything after him was dull and heavy; much circumfloribus stuff was talked of on the Court side. They might have spared their breath; their convincing argument was in their pockets - not on their tongue..." From: The Autobiography and Correspondence of Mary Granville, Mrs Delany Edited by Augusta Hall GOLCONDA NOUN a place or thing full of riches, or regarded as a source of something fine, precious, or valuable; a source of great wealth; also a fortune of the type represented by the Golconda diamonds ...1833 ETYMOLOGY from Golconda (also Golkonda), a historical region in southern India and its capital city, which was once a major centre for diamond mining and trade; in the late 16th century, the city of Golconda was replaced as the capital by the newly-founded Hyderabad, which continued the diamond trade; Golconda ceased to be the official name of the region in the late 17th century FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1833 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...In the mean time my eyes were directed to every part of the room, which appeared to my ignorance as a golconda of wealth and luxury, There were few things which I had seen before, but I had an innate idea that they were of value..." From: Metropolitan Magazine "Jacob Faithful" - Frederick Marryat ATTEDIATION NOUN the act of wearying or the fact of being wearied ...1485 obs. rare ETYMOLOGY from obsolete French attédiation, from attaediāt- from at- = ad- (to) + taedium (weariness) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1485 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...For the moste parte of this book is made to thonour of the frēssh men and for prouffyte of euery man and after the desyre of the reder and herer there shalle be founden in the table all playne the mater of whyche the persone shal haue desyre to here or rede wythoute grete atedyacyon by the playsyr of god to whome I submytte al myn entēte to write no thyng that ought to be blamed ne but that it be to the helthe & sauacion of euery persone..." From: Thystorye and Lyf of the Noble and Crysten Prynce Charles the Grete Kynge of Frauuce - Translated by William Caxton DAY-RED NOUN the red of the break of day; the rosy dawn; daybreak ...c1000 obs. ETYMOLOGY from OED: Apparently cognate with or formed similarly to Middle Dutch dagheraet , dageraet (Dutch dageraad ), Middle Low German dāgerāt , dāgerēt , dāgerōt , Old High German tagarōd , tagarōt , tagarōta , tagarōti (Middle High German tagerāt , (also) tagerōt ) from the Germanic base of day (n.) + a second element of uncertain and disputed origin FIRST DOCUMENTED USE c1000 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...Þæt leoht ðe we hatað dægered cymð of ðære sunnan þonne heo upweard bið..." From: Ælfric's De Temporibus Anni BIGSIE also BIGSEY, BIGSY ADJ. 1. having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance; arrogant, pretentious, conceited, proud ...1881 Sc. colloq. 2. rather large ...Bk1898 Sc. ETYMOLOGY from big (adj.) + Scots -sie, a suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘somewhat, rather’ FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1881 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "...There is a story told of a certain tailor known in his then immediate neighbourhood as a ‘gey bigsie kin' o' bodie’..." From: The Aberdeen Weekly Journal Sept. 1881 SNARLEY-YOW NOUN a discontented, litigious grumbler ...1867 nautical usage ETYMOLOGY from Snarleyyow, the name of the dog in Frederick Marryat's novel. Snarleyyow, or the Dog-Fiend (1837) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1867 - Snarley-yow, a discontented, litigious grumbler. An old guard-ship authority who knows when to play the courtier From: The Sailor’s Word-Book: An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms - William Henry Smyth |
Archives
April 2021
|