eye-washingn.
/ˈʌɪwɒʃɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈaɪˌwɔʃɪŋ/, /ˈaɪˌwɑʃɪŋ/ 1. The action or an act of bathing or cleansing the eyes.
ΚΠ
1881 Manch. Weekly Times 30 Apr. (Suppl.) 5/3 The long processions of invalid chairs, the eye-washings, [etc.].
1906 Penny Illustr. Paper 19 May 314/5 This neglect of eye washing is responsible for the deadly dull appearance presented by many of these 'windows of the soul'.
1987 J. M. Baker & W. J. Wolff Biol. Surv. Estuaries & Coasts xv. 432 When using formaldehyde,..eye-washing facilities should be available in case of splash.
2002 Spokesman Rev. (Spokane, Washington) (Nexis) 2 Apr. a1 Pepper spray requires 20 minutes of eye-washing, not only for suspects but for officers who often wind up spraying themselves.
2. Chiefly South Asian. The use of speech or action which is only for outward show, or which conceals actual facts or motives. Cf. eyewash n. 2a.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > insincere or pretentious talk > [noun] > indulgence in
gassing1857
eye-washing1925
1925 Eng. Rev. 41 646 The dramatic collapse of the Washington negotiations led to a great deal of eye-washing in France.
1944 I. J. Pitt Short Study Hindu & Muslim Minds i. 6 The Indian thinks of Parliament as a satanic monster,..its attributes being unfathomable selfishness, brute force, tyranny,..trap-laying and eye-washing.
1961 E. Taborsky Communism in Czechoslovakia vii. 153 ‘Passing the buck’ and ‘eye-washing’ are among their most favorite operational devices.
1988 Central Asian Newsletter Nov. 10/2 Formalism, nepotism, eye-washing, amateurishness, brutality and excessive academism can harm the delicate work of atheist education.
2008 Hindustan Times (Nexis) 22 Aug. The tall claims made by the Government regarding deportation of illegal Bangladeshis were an attempt at eye washing.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
eye-washingadj.
/ˈʌɪwɒʃɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈaɪˌwɔʃɪŋ/, /ˈaɪˌwɑʃɪŋ/ Now chiefly South Asian.
That is intended merely for outward show or to obscure or conceal actual facts or motives. Cf. eyewash n. 2a.
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1914 Referee 9 Aug. 2/3 His brother Henry was on an eye-washing ‘holiday’ in London.
1920 Hansard Commons 23 Nov. 355 Now suddenly, at the last moment, in a Bill which does not profess to deal with housing, an eye-washing Clause has been put in which it is hoped will help agricultural housing.
1937 L. Housman Unexpected Years 159 The professions of those who offered them, with ‘art for art's sake’ as an eye-washing accompaniment.
1989 Econ. & Polit. Weekly 16 Dec. 2747/2 Whether the election had produced Change or just a temporary, eye-washing turnaround.
2012 Frontier Post (Pakistan) (Nexis) 19 Dec. When will we think about actions rather than mere eye-washing slogans?
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1881adj.1914