This week’s theme
Words related to historical fashion

This week’s words
corset
tight-laced
bodice ripper
starchy
velvet glove

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(TYT-laysd)

MEANING:

adjective: Excessively proper, strict, or old-fashioned.

ETYMOLOGY:

Alluding to a tightly laced bodice, popular in the past. Earliest documented use: 1741.

USAGE:

The term originates from the historical practice of lacing clothing -- especially women’s bodices -- very tightly to present a small waist and a more upright, rigid posture. This physical constraint gradually evolved into a metaphor for inflexible or narrow-minded attitudes, often associated with conservative social or moral views. A synonym is straitlaced.

USAGE:

“There’s something inherently funny about Greg and Kate’s tight-laced existence being rudely interrupted by Sylvia’s uncouth behavior.”
Nathan Weinbender; “Sylvia” A Funny, Insightful Dog’s Tale; Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington); May 3, 2015.

See more usage examples of tight-laced in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: