Pretty

subs. (venery).—The female pudendum: also PRETTY-PRETTY: see MONOSYLLABLE. PRETTY DEAR = a mistress.

  1749.  SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 372. Who pamper up their PRETTY DEARS.

  Adj. and adv. (literary and colloquial).—A generic intensive: ironical or complimentary at occasion or will: see quot. 1814.

  c. 1500.  A Mery Jest how a Sergeaunt Wolde Lerne to be a Frere [HAZLITT], Remains of the Early Popular Poetry of England, III. 122].

  1530.  PALSGRAVE, Langue Francoyse, 453. A PREATY whyle ago, ung peu de temps passe.

  1537–40.  Three Chapters of Letters Relating to the Suppression of the Monasteries [Camden Society], 198. PRATY besynes [of some monkish crimes].

  1559.  UDALL, Roister Doister [ARBER], 37. My PRETTY maid [an ironical address by a mistress to a servant].

  15[?].  Political Poems [FURNIVALL], 244.

  1594.  SHAKESPEARE, The Rape of Lucrece, 1233. A PRETTY while these pretty creatures stand.

  1598.  JONSON, Every Man in his Humour, i. 2. Know. Is the fellow gone that brought this letter? Brai. Yes, sir, a PRETTY while since.

  1611.  CORYATE, Crudities, I. 6. It is a PRETTY way distant from the town.

  1628.  EARLE, Microcosmographie, ‘A Weake Man.’ A great affecter of wits and such PRETINESSES.

  1630.  CAPT. JOHN SMITH, The True Travels, Adventures and Observations, I. 26. Meldritch … was advised of a PRETTY stratagem by the English Smith.

  d. 1657.  W. BRADFORD, History of Plymouth Plantation, 235. Aboute some 3. or 4. years before this time ther came over one Captaine Wolastone (a man of PRETIE parts).

  1678.  BUNYAN, Pilgrim’s Progress, 208. You are PRETTY near the business.

  1714.  T. LUCAS, Memoirs of Gamesters, etc., 143. He … being no bad Player, won a PRETTY deal of Money.

  1726.  VANBRUGH, The Provoked Husband, ii. 1. A PRETTY sort of a young woman.

  1763.  FOOTE, The Mayor of Garratt, i. 1. Sir J. So, now I believe things are PRETTY secure. Ibid. Mrs. S. Son! yes, and a PRETTY son you have provided.’ Sir J. ‘I hope all for the best.’

  1772.  BRIDGES, A Burlesque Translation of Homer, 96.

  d. 1774.  GOLDSMITH, A Reverie at Boar’s-Head Tavern, Eastcheap [Century]. The gallants of these times PRETTY MUCH resembled the bloods of ours.

  1814.  SCOTT, Waverley, xvii. He even mentioned the exact number of recruits … and observed they were PRETTY men, meaning, not handsome, but stout warlike fellows.

  1777.  SHERIDAN, The School for Scandal, i. 1. Egad! ma’am, he has a PRETTY wit, and is a PRETTY poet too. Ibid. (1778), The Rivals, iv. 3. The quarrel is a very PRETTY quarrel as it stands.

  1870.  HAWTHORNE, Passages from English Note-books, II. 306. Suburban villas, Belgrave terraces, and other such PRETTINESSES in the modern Gothic or Elizabethan style.

  1874.  J. A. SYMONDS, Sketches in Italy and Greece, 76. The painter … was forced … to perpetuate pious PRETTINESSES long after he had ceased to feel them.

  1891.  R. L. STEVENSON, Kidnapped, 73. “There are some PRETTY men gone to the bottom.”

  1892.  T. A. GUTHRIE (‘F. Anstey’), Voces Populi, ‘At the Military Tournament,’ 97. Cost a PRETTY SIGHT o’ the People’s MONEY.

  1899.  R. WHITEING, No. 5 John Street, ix. PRETTY child you must ha’ bin. I should like to ’ha seen yer. Oh my! Ibid. ’Tilda. Was you knocked about much when you was a young un? Covey. PRETTY tidy; only, I alwize stepped it when it got too ’ot.

  TO DO THE (or TALK) PRETTY, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To affect amiability or obsequiousness.

  1891.  J. NEWMAN, Scamping Tricks, 2. We can talk PRETTY to each other. Ibid., 46. I saw they were started on the road of mutual admiration, and travelling PRETTY, and that he meant calling again.

  1902.  Free Lance, 5 April, 8, 2. They must be spoken PRETTY to, caressed, humoured, coaxed.

  See also WAY and HORSE-BREAKER.