or cuterer, cutely, adj. and adv. (colloquial).—Sharp; clever; ‘fly to wot’s wot.’ [A corruption of ACUTE.] Fr., avoir le nez creux. For synonyms, see KNOWING. So also CUTENESS, the quality or character of being CUTE.
1748. T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). CUTE (A): sharp, witty, ingenious, ready, etc.
1754. B. MARTIN, English Dictionary (2 ed.). CUTE (a low word used instead of Acute): witty.
1762. FOOTE, The Orators, Act i. I did speechify once at a vestry concerning new lettering the church buckets, and came off CUTELY enough. Ibid. (1765), The Commissary, III. I did not know but they might be after, more CUTERER now in catching their larning.
1768. GOLDSMITH, The Good-Natured Man, Act ii. Well, who could have thought so innocent a face could cover so much ’CUTENESS! Ibid., Act iv. Truly, madam, I write and indite but poorly. I never was ’CUTE at my learning.
1874. M. and F. COLLINS, Frances, ch. xxxv. We can leave them to their own devices: they’re both pretty ’CUTE.
1884. C. GIBBON, By Mead and Stream, ch. xx. Dressed in the latest City fashion—for there is a City fashion, designed apparently to combine the elegance of the West end with a suggestion of superhuman ‘CUTENESS.’
