adv. and a. (sb.). Also 6 soo soo, soso, 6–9 so, so, 9 Sc. saesae. [SO adv. Cf. G. so so, Du. zoo zoo, WFris. sa sa, in similar use.]
For so, so, as a mere exclamation, see SO adv. 5 c.
A. adv. In an indifferent, mediocre, or passable manner or degree; indifferently, not quite satisfactorily: a. With verbs.
1530. Palsgr., 842/1. So so, tellement quellement.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke vi. 73 b. This thyng, the pharisees could soso awaie withall, because it was a thyng … of the common vsage.
1553. Respublica, 647. My ladie, howe doe youe? Respub. Even so so, people.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus, Ann., XII. x. (1622), 171. His wife … endured the first flight so so, for feare of the enemy and loue of hir husband.
1675. Wood, Life (O.H.S.), II. 318. Villerius Bathurst e Coll. Trin. [spoke] well, Philippus Clarke e Coll. Magd. so so.
1872. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., 579/1. ‘And you have succeeded fairly?’ ‘So—so,’ he answered.
1877. H. James, American, vii. 120. ‘And are you enjoying it?’… ‘Oh, so-so,’ he answered.
b. With pa. pples., ppl. adjs., and adjs.
1532. St. Papers Hen. VII., VII. 396. The said old Abbot of Ferfa, reconcyled soo soo to the Pope, hath been of late at Rome.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke v. 65. Seeyng the place to be so-so commodious for one to preache the ghospel in.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., V. i. 29. Clo. Art rich? Will. Faith sir, so, so.
1828. Scott, Jrnl., 30 Jan. Am I satisfied with my exertions? So so.
1861. Whyte-Melville, Market Harb., 41. ‘I suppose you are very well mounted yourself?’ ‘So-so,’ was the reply.
c. With but.
1578. Timme, Calvin on Gen., 276. Seeing the Canaanites maintained their life but so so.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann. (1658), 151. To see the stipend duly paid to the Peloponesian Navy, which yet was but so so performed by him.
1720. C. Shadwell, Sham Prince, V. i. And so we stitch up one another, and do but so so at the best.
1762. J. Hall Stevenson, Crazy Tales, 110. They pass their summers but so so, Drinking as long as they are able.
1820. Hogg, Bridal of Polmood, xvi. The king asked … how he had passed the night—he thanked his majesty, and said he had been but so so.
B. adj. Indifferent, mediocre, of middling quality; neither very good nor very bad, but usu. inclining towards bad. Freq. with but.
1. Of things: a. In predicative use.
(a) 1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 313 b. The maister of the feaste had sette upon the table wyne that was but easie and soso.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 120. If our fortune bee but so so, indifferent (I meane).
1616. R. C., Times’ Whistle (1871), 63. Your white or Clarret Is but so so; he cares not greatly for it.
1682. D’Urfey, Butler’s Ghost, 135. Doubting their luck would be but so-so, And that it would disgrace them all [etc.].
1827. De Quincey, Murder, Wks. 1854, IV. 9. It is no disparagement to say, that his performance was but so-so.
(b) 1591. Sparry, trans. Cattan’s Geomancie, 128. It is so-so for the ayre, for it will raine often times.
1611. Cotgr., Bellastre,… fairish, reasonably faire, passable, so so.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 260. These Elements to Books Composure go, Some good, some bad, and some So, So.
1712. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 18 Nov. I dined there t’other day,… and our meat and drink was very so so.
1771. Goldsm., Haunch of Venison, 9. As in some Irish houses, where things are so so, One gammon of bacon hangs up for a show.
1820. Byron, Blues, II. 77. The taste of the actors at best is so so.
1862. Thackeray, Philip, xvi. Her pianoforte playing is very so-so indeed.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), I. v. 90. My wish is great, my power is only so-so.
b. Used attributively.
1767. Woman of Fashion, II. 48. You will, I fear, make but a so so Figure, as that domestic Animal, a Husband.
1788. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Peter’s Pension, Wks. 1812, II. 18. Your man-traps … have had but so-so luck.
1837. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. Grey Dolphin. After leading but a so-so life.
1862. Burgon, Letters from Rome, 260. Acres of so-so statues, and nameless busts.
1899. A. Werner, Capt. Locusts, 279. Having got together some very so-so writing materials.
Comb. 1824. Miss Ferrier, Inher., xviii. Very so-so looking strawberries.
2. Of persons: a. In respect of ability, character, position, appearance, etc.
1608. Bp. Andrewes, Serm. (1841), II. 224. They that have not greatly gone astray, are but even so so.
1663. Killigrew, Parson’s Wedding, I. ii. Ay marry,… this is a husband,… and none of your so-so husbands.
1675. Cotton, Burlesque upon B., 110. They pretty passable are though (Thank Jove) the Children are so so.
1775. Mme. D’Arblay, Early Diary (1889), II. 57. Mrs. Harris—a so-so sort of woman.
1823. Byron, Juan, XIII. lxxxii. I’ve seen … a so-so matron boldly fight Her way back to the world.
1864. Realm, 22 June, 2. No one can deny that among the clergy there is more than a fair percentage of very so-so people.
b. In respect of health or physical condition.
a. 1592. Greene, Jas. IV., Wks. (Rtldg.), 194. Our king is well, our queen so-so.
1662. J. Wilson, Cheats, I. v. M. D. I am afraid you are not well Sir. Sc. Yes—I am so, so.
1731. Gentl. Mag., I. 349/1.
| Howe’er it is, I hardly know, | |
| I find myself but just so so. |
1800[?]. W. B. Rhodes, Bomb. Fur., i. (1830), 7. We are but middling—that is but so so.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xvii. ‘Hoping you find yourself well, sir!’ ‘So-so, Mrs. Mann,’ replied the beadle.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. v. ‘How’s he?’… ‘So, so; rather done, I think, since his last fall.’
c. In respect of soberness.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, II. iv. ¶ 4. We drank hard, and returned … in a pretty pickle, that is to say, so-so in the upper story.
1818. Keats, Lett., Wks. 1889, III. 158. Rice may begin to crow, for he got a little so-so at a party of his, and was none the worse for it the next morning.
3. Marked by the excessive use of ‘so’ in writings or speech.
a. 1800. Pegge, Anecd. Eng. Lang. (1814), 217. Our Cockney, however, may be supported in this his so-so language by respectable Historians.
Hence So-so-so a. (nonce-use.)
1768. Mme. D’Arblay, Early Diary (1889), I. 21. We had a large party to the Assembly on Monday, which was so-so-so.
