Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.
tawdry lace — noun Etymology: alteration of earlier St. Audrey s lace, after St. Audrey (Etheldreda or Æthelthrȳth) died 679 queen of Northumbria who founded an abbey at Ely; from the tradition that she died of a throat tumor inflicted as a punishment for her … Useful english dictionary
tawdry — cheap, showy, gaudy, 1670s, adjective use of noun tawdry silk necktie for women (1610s), shortened from tawdry lace (1540s), an alteration of St. Audrey s lace, a necktie or ribbon sold at the annual fair at Ely on Oct. 17 commemorating St.… … Etymology dictionary
tawdry — ► ADJECTIVE (tawdrier, tawdriest) 1) showy but cheap and of poor quality. 2) sordid; sleazy. DERIVATIVES tawdriness noun. ORIGIN short for tawdry lace, a fine silk lace or ribbon, contraction of St Audrey s lace: Audrey was the patron saint of… … English terms dictionary
Tawdry — Taw dry, a. [Compar. {Tawdrier}; superl. {Tawdriest}.] [Said to be corrupted from Saint Audrey, or Auldrey, meaning Saint Ethelreda, implying therefore, originally, bought at the fair of St. Audrey, where laces and gay toys of all sorts were sold … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
tawdry — adjective (tawdrier, tawdriest) 1》 showy but cheap and of poor quality. 2》 sordid; sleazy. noun archaic cheap and gaudy finery. Derivatives tawdrily adverb tawdriness noun Word History Tawdry is short for tawdry lace, a … English new terms dictionary
tawdry — taw|dry [ˈto:dri US ˈto: ] adj [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: tawdry lace necklace (16 18 centuries), from St. Audrey s lace, from St. Audrey 7th century queen of Northumbria, England; because it was originally sold at fairs in honor of St. Audrey]… … Dictionary of contemporary English
tawdry — I. adjective (tawdrier; est) Etymology: tawdry lace a tie of lace for the neck, from Saint Audrey (Saint Etheldreda) died 679 queen of Northumbria Date: 1655 cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality; also ignoble < a tawdry attempt to smear his… … New Collegiate Dictionary
tawdry — adj. & n. adj. (tawdrier, tawdriest) 1 showy but worthless. 2 over ornamented, gaudy, vulgar. n. cheap or gaudy finery. Derivatives: tawdrily adv. tawdriness n. Etymology: earlier as noun: short for tawdry lace, orig. St Audrey s lace f. Audrey … Useful english dictionary
tawdry — [17] Anna, Anglo Saxon king of East Anglia, had a daughter called Etheldrida, who became queen of Northumbria (she died in 679). She had an inordinate fondness in her youth for fine lace neckerchiefs, and when she was later afflicted by a fatal… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
tawdry — [17] Anna, Anglo Saxon king of East Anglia, had a daughter called Etheldrida, who became queen of Northumbria (she died in 679). She had an inordinate fondness in her youth for fine lace neckerchiefs, and when she was later afflicted by a fatal… … Word origins
