subs. (common).—An antimacassar.

1

  Adj. (colloquial).—Considerable; pretty large, fine, healthy, comfortable, important, etc.

2

  c. 1360.  William of Palerne [E.E.T.S.], 5384.

        and al þat touched þer · to a TIDI erldome,
to þe kowherd & his wif · þe king ȝaf þat time.
    Ibid., 1339.
for þe TIDY tidinges · þat tiȝtly were seide.

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  1557.  TUSSER, Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie, August, 22.

        If weather be faire, and TIDIE thy graine,
  make speedily carrege, for feare of a raine.

4

  1851–61.  H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, I. 408. May be after a TIDY day’s work, I shall come home with 1s. in my pocket.

5

  1887.  The Field, 23 July. There will probably be a TIDY little fleet, representatives of the Mersey Canoe Club.

6

  1899.  R. WHITEING, No. 5 John Street, ix. Was you knocked about much when you was a young ’un? Pretty TIDY, only I alwiz stepped it when it got too ’ot.

7

  Verb. (colloquial).—To put (or place) in order; to make neat: usually TO TIDY UP: TIDY, adj. = neat (GROSE) has long been recognised.

8

  1853.  DICKENS, Bleak House, xxx. I have TIDIED over and over again, but it’s useless.

9

  1863.  GASKELL, Sylvia’s Lovers, xliii. She found the widow with her house-place TIDIED up after the mid-day meal.

10

  1889.  C. D. WARNER, Comments on Kentucky, in Harper’s Magazine, lxxviii. Jan., 258. The small villages … have not the TIDINESS of the New England small villages.

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