flouncy

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English[edit]

WOTD – 18 February 2024

Etymology[edit]

A flouncy (sense 3) dress.

From flounce (noun) +‎ -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’).[1][2]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

flouncy (comparative flouncier, superlative flounciest)

  1. Moving with a flounce (“a bouncy, exaggerated manner; an act of departing in a dramatic, haughty way that draws attention to oneself”).
    • 1857 July, “The Balaams”, in Putnam’s Monthly Magazine of American Literature, Science and Art, volume X, number LV, New York, N.Y.: Oaksmith & Company, […]; London: Sampson Low, Son & Co., →OCLC, page 97, column 1:
      [S]he came, saw, and conquered the worthy man whose name she adorns, and whose home she keeps in a manner which is the despair of all the easygoing, hoopy, flouncy, little women, who have made sundry tomtits happy by allowing them to pay their dry-goods bills.
    • [1882], Charles H[enry] Ross, “Our Young Ladies. Being Useful or Ornamental Addenda to Anybody’s Boys.”, in Flirting Made Easy. A Guide for Girls. […], London: “Judy” Office, […], →OCLC, page 96:
      In other matters, besides those connected with the lamentable young man, the flouncy nature of this misguided young person hourly manifests itself. She is of that kind that runs over street crossings and smiles upon the wide world generally when she reaches the other side.
    • 1885, [George Wilbur] Peck, “She Sees after Him”, in Will He Marry Her? A Domestic Drama for Home Reading, […], Chicago, Ill.: Rhodes & McClure Publishing Co., →OCLC, pages 36–37:
      Mrs. Dozer is also assiduous, but flouncy; and brings with her sudden draughts, and goes away again leaving doors open, which I get up and close, using language as I do so.
    • 1897 October, Vivanti Chartres, “Houp-là!”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume XVIII, number 1, New York, N.Y.: Frank A[ndrew] Munsey, […], published 1898, →OCLC, section I, page 26, column 1:
      So it was that poor, fat Mrs. Berman sat on her sofa this Wednesday night with a large wild hat on, congested as to the face, flouncy and flighty as to the feet, and trying to pretend that she was smoking a Russian cigarette.
  2. (figurative) Calling attention; flashy, showy; also, elaborate; fancy.
    • 1860 December 1, “‘Ye may Know Him by His Garden’”, in Thomas Meehan, editor, The Gardener’s Monthly and Horticultural Advertiser, volume II, number 12, Philadelphia, Pa.: [s.n.], →OCLC, pages 372–373:
      Take, as a contrast, a near neighbor on the left, pretty Mrs. Wimbledon, widow of the late Mr. Wimbledon, a young and pretty widow; with a garden that looks so intelligent; with flower-beds so dashing and flouncy; with premium strawberries; with altogether "so engaging a place," as people say, that many good folks would like to share it with the lovely Mrs. Wimbledon.
    • 2010, Marion McGilvary, A Lost Wife’s Tale […], New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 32:
      And, later, when I married Francisco and replaced the McBride like a pair of baggy old knickers with his much frillier, flouncier surname, I couldn't help but marvel at my lucky escape.
    • 2011, Paul O’Donnell, “Brand: Me”, in Man Up! 367 Skills for the Modern Guy, New York, N.Y.: Artisan, Workman Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 21:
      FLAT CAP […] A conservative but quietly manly choice, this round cap with a still, barely visible brim blends with almost any look. Its more outlandish, flouncier cousin is the newsboy.
    • 2015, Richard Wilford, “100 Tulips for the Garden”, in The Plant Lover’s Guide to Tulips, Portland, Or.: Timber Press, Workman Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 76:
      Tulipa 'Red Impression' […] [T]his tulip really does make a lasting impression. With its huge, glossy red flower it looks like a bigger, bolder, and flouncier version of 'Madame Lefeber' or Tulipa fosteriana and surely that species has had a major influence in the breeding of this tulip.
    • 2021, Martin Dorey, “Nantes to Chambord”, in Take the Slow Road: France: Inspirational Journeys round France by Camper Van and Motorhome, London: Conway, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 341:
      This [route] will take you back to the Loire and eventually lead you through the forest to the final stop at Chambord, via the D84, the biggest, flounciest, frippery-filled, multi-turreted Disney on steroids castle of them all.
  4. (sewing) Of a garment, etc.: having a flounce (“strip of decorative material, usually pleated, attached along one edge”) or flounces; gathered and pleated.
    • 1756, [Charlotte] Charke, “Mr. Dumont Arrives at Iver. […]”, in The History of Henry Dumont, Esq; and Miss Charlotte Evelyn. […], London: […] H. Slater, […]; and H. Slater, jun. and S. Whyte, […], →OCLC, page 119:
      [N]ovv praye, vvhat may you call that flouncy garment? for I ſuppoſe it has ſome fine fangled neam belonging to it.
    • 1863, [Christiana Jane Douglas], “Hannah Brown”, in The Browns and the Smiths. […], volume I, London: Hurst and Blackett, publishers, successors to Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 44–45:
      Sometimes she thought of adopting a more showy, flouncy style of dress—like the Miss Smiths; but when it came to the point, somehow Hannah always felt she could not go out so. People would laugh at her, and say she was copying the Smiths, and "anything rather than that," thought Hannah Brown.
    • 1908, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “Of Bladesover House, and My Mother; and the Constitution of Society”, in Tono-Bungay […], Toronto, Ont.: The Macmillan Company of Canada, Ltd., →OCLC, 1st book (The Days before Tono-Bungay was Invented), section IV, page 17:
      They sat about in black and shiny and flouncey clothing adorned with gimp and beads, eating great quantities of cake, drinking much tea in a stately manner and reverberating remarks.
    • 1911 September 23, Joseph Swerling, “One Way of Collecting a Bad Printing Account”, in Printing Trade News: The Business Publication of the American Printing Industry, volume XI, number 38, New York, N.Y.: The Printing Trade News Pub. Co., →OCLC, page 8, column 1:
      He noticed that Elaine appeared charming in her neat little, flouncy printer's apron.
    • 1989 June 19, Tobi Tobias, “Dance: Help Wanted”, in Edward Kosner, editor, New York, volume 22, number 25, New York, N.Y.: News America Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 67, column 1:
      The performers are dressed by Gary Lisz in saccharine, fussy balletic glosses on eighteenth-century costume—much gartering and lacing, with absurd skintight pantaloons beneath the flouncy short tutus.
    • 2006, [Derek] James Hawkins, chapter 12, in Barry Jowett, editor, Deadly Sin: A Chief Inspector Bliss Mystery, Toronto, Ont.: Dundurn Press, →ISBN, page 200:
      Mavis Longbottom is there, together with Angel Robinson in her flounciest printed cotton, but not inside the cathedral.
    • 2012, Rebecca Dean, The Shadow Queen: A Novel of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, New York, N.Y.: Broadway Books, →ISBN, page 133:
      I think a frillier, flouncier dress might be in order tomorrow, though.

Alternative forms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

calling attention — see flashy,‎ showy
elaborate, fancy — see elaborate,‎ fancy

References[edit]

  1. ^ “flouncy, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, July 2023.
  2. ^ “flouncy, adj.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Stuart Berg Flexner, editor in chief, Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, 1993, →ISBN.

Further reading[edit]

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