[UN-1 12.]
† 1. Unhandiness; inconvenience. Obs.
1550. Thomas, Malageuolezza, vnhandsomnesse, or difficultee.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 83 b. Such Uines as are ioyned with Trees, for the vnhandsomenesse, can not be thus handled.
2. Inelegance, uncomeliness, plainness.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. xxii. The sweetnes of her countenance did give such a grace to what she did, that it did make hansome the unhansomnes.
1606. Dekker, Sev. Sins, I. (Arb.), 11. Couered with two or three threed-bare Carpets … to hide the vnhandsomnes of the Carpenters worke.
1658. Whole Duty Man, xiii. § 7. First, for infirmities, be they either of body or mind, the deformity and unhandsomness of the one, or the weakness and folly of the other [etc.].
1675. G. R., trans. Le Grand’s Man without Passion, 168. You carry nothing of less use about you then that which you employ to hide your unhandsomeness.
1873. Miss Broughton, Nancy, I. 6. We reach our nadir of unhandsomeness in Ton Ton.
3. Unbecomingness; unfittingness.
1598. Florio, Sgratia, a disgrace, a gracelesnes or vnhandsomnes.
1611. Cotgr., Inconvenance, a misbecomming, vnhandsomenesse, vnfitnesse, vnseemelinesse.
1653. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year, Winter, ii. 26. Then we shall see things as they are, the evill circumstances and the crooked intentions, the adherent unhandsomenesse and the direct crimes.
1664. Ingelo, Bentiv. & Ur., VI. 350. When they Consider that Unhandsomness which will never cease to attend their unjust Prosperities.
1774. Adam Smith, in Thomson, Life Cullen (1832), I. 475. Bating the unhandsomeness of the practice,… in what manner does the public suffer by it?
1871. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., June, 338. The unhandsomeness of breakfasting upon one’s offspring.
