little-easen.

Brit.

/ˈlɪtl̩iːz/, U.S.

/ˈlɪd(ə)lˌiz/

Forms: see little adj., pron., n., and adv. and ease n.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: little adj., ease n.

Etymology: < little adj. + ease n.

1. A place or bodily position that is very uncomfortable to be held in; a narrow place of confinement; a prison cell too small for the occupant to assume a comfortable position; spec. the name of a dungeon in the Tower of London, and of an ancient place of punishment for unruly apprentices at the Guildhall, London. Also: a device for holding a prisoner in a very uncomfortable position. Now historical.The sense ‘device’ is first illustrated in quot. 1585, which some other 19th-cent. dictionaries quoted and interpreted as ‘the pillory or stocks’. N.E.D. included this meaning, though not the original quot. However the translator of Junius seems not to be suggesting that ‘little ease’ and ‘pillory’ are synonymous, but that either could be used to try to capture the sense of neruus (compare equuleus on the same page, which is given equivalents beginning ‘A sharpe stake wherevpon the offender is put’ and ending ‘the racke’). Cf. also quot. 1937.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > prison > [noun] > dungeon

dungOE

pitc1300

lakea1382

dungeonc1390

donjona1400

little-easea1529

thieves' hole1578

dungeon cell?1674

oubliette1777

a1529 J. Skelton Colyn Cloute (?1545) sig. D.iv Lodge hym in lytell ease Fede hym with beanes and pease.

1548 T. Cooper Bibliotheca Eliotæ (rev. ed.) at Arca A streicte place in a prisone, called littell ease.

1550 H. Latimer Moste Faithfull Serm. before Kynges Maiestye sig. Bviii^v Was he not worthy to be cast in bocardo or litle ease?

1585 J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 196 Neruus... A kinde of stockes for the necke and the feete: the pillorie, or little ease.

1608 T. Middleton Familie of Love (new ed.) iii. sig. D ^v How dost thou brooke thy little ease, thy Trunk? [To a person who has been carried in a trunk.]

a1623 W. Pemble Fiue Godly Serm. (1628) i. 22 As a prisoner of the Iayle, or one that is in little ease.

1669 J. Dryden Wild Gallant i. ii. 7 I sweat to think of that Garret..why 'tis a kind of little ease, to cramp thy rebellious Prentices in.

1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 312/1 There is another like place of punishment in our House of Correction in Chester..it is called the Little Ease, a place cut into a Rock, with a Grate Door before it.

1690 W. Walker Idiomatologia Anglo-Lat. 156 A little ease (i.e. a prison).

1752 T. Carte Gen. Hist. Eng. III. 736 A loathsome filthy hole or dungeon in the Tower, called Little Ease.

1829 J. B. Heath Some Acct. Worshipful Company of Grocers 87 (note) Little Ease was a place of confinement for unruly apprentices; it was situated in the Guildhall.

1840 W. H. Ainsworth Tower of London xiii The walls of the cell, which was called the Little Ease, were so low, and so contrived, that the wretched inmate could neither stand, walk, sit, nor lie at full length within them.

1899 F. T. Bullen Log of Sea-waif 10 The pantry: a sort of little-ease in a corner of the cuddy.

1937 D. L. Sayers Busman's Honeymoon 429 Only if it's a comparatively mild martyrdom, like the little-ease or the stocks.

1985 E. Doughtie Liber Lilliati 172 Campion was placed in the part of the Tower called ‘Little Ease’, and was racked in July and October.

2007 D. M. Rejali Torture & Democracy iv. xiv. 299 British investigators were skeptical whether the Little Ease or tying up was effective in maintaining discipline.

2. figurative and in figurative contexts. Now literary.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > [noun] > difficult state of things

hard casec1325

box1546

pass1560

little-ease1589

a fine kettle1741

mess1812

how-do-you-do1835

hot mess1867

bed of nails1872

shitter1958

strife1963

1589 G. Gifford Eight Serm. iv. f. 74 His heart is in little ease.

1638 D. Featley Stricturæ in Lyndomastygem ii. 58 in H. Lynde Case for Spectacles In the Romish Purgatory all soules are in little-ease.

1681 Whole Duty of Nations 6 To grant nothing to this consideration, is rather to crowd men into a Little-ease in Religion, than to unite them.

1738 J. Dorman Curiosity, or, Gentleman & Lady's Libr. 60 Here ev'ry Creditor has Right to teize, And make his Home a real Little-Ease. [Note] A Place of Punishment in Guildhall, London, for unruly 'Prentices.

1917 T. Hardy Moments of Vision & Misc. Verses 169 We are out of it all!—yea, in Little-Ease cramped no more!

1989 D. Davie Under Briggflatts ii. 180 The life in [Thom] Gunn's poems is life in Little-ease; and he persuades us..that this is true whether we are ‘straight’ or..‘gay’.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	little-ease
释义	little-easen. Brit. /ˈlɪtl̩iːz/, U.S. /ˈlɪd(ə)lˌiz/ Forms: see little adj., pron., n., and adv. and ease n. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: little adj., ease n. Etymology: < little adj. + ease n. 1. A place or bodily position that is very uncomfortable to be held in; a narrow place of confinement; a prison cell too small for the occupant to assume a comfortable position; spec. the name of a dungeon in the Tower of London, and of an ancient place of punishment for unruly apprentices at the Guildhall, London. Also: a device for holding a prisoner in a very uncomfortable position. Now historical.The sense ‘device’ is first illustrated in quot. 1585, which some other 19th-cent. dictionaries quoted and interpreted as ‘the pillory or stocks’. N.E.D. included this meaning, though not the original quot. However the translator of Junius seems not to be suggesting that ‘little ease’ and ‘pillory’ are synonymous, but that either could be used to try to capture the sense of neruus (compare equuleus on the same page, which is given equivalents beginning ‘A sharpe stake wherevpon the offender is put’ and ending ‘the racke’). Cf. also quot. 1937. ΘΚΠ society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > prison > [noun] > dungeon dungOE pitc1300 lakea1382 dungeonc1390 donjona1400 little-easea1529 thieves' hole1578 dungeon cell?1674 oubliette1777 a1529 J. Skelton Colyn Cloute (?1545) sig. D.iv Lodge hym in lytell ease Fede hym with beanes and pease. 1548 T. Cooper Bibliotheca Eliotæ (rev. ed.) at Arca A streicte place in a prisone, called littell ease. 1550 H. Latimer Moste Faithfull Serm. before Kynges Maiestye sig. Bviii^v Was he not worthy to be cast in bocardo or litle ease? 1585 J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 196 Neruus... A kinde of stockes for the necke and the feete: the pillorie, or little ease. 1608 T. Middleton Familie of Love (new ed.) iii. sig. D ^v How dost thou brooke thy little ease, thy Trunk? [To a person who has been carried in a trunk.] a1623 W. Pemble Fiue Godly Serm. (1628) i. 22 As a prisoner of the Iayle, or one that is in little ease. 1669 J. Dryden Wild Gallant i. ii. 7 I sweat to think of that Garret..why 'tis a kind of little ease, to cramp thy rebellious Prentices in. 1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 312/1 There is another like place of punishment in our House of Correction in Chester..it is called the Little Ease, a place cut into a Rock, with a Grate Door before it. 1690 W. Walker Idiomatologia Anglo-Lat. 156 A little ease (i.e. a prison). 1752 T. Carte Gen. Hist. Eng. III. 736 A loathsome filthy hole or dungeon in the Tower, called Little Ease. 1829 J. B. Heath Some Acct. Worshipful Company of Grocers 87 (note) Little Ease was a place of confinement for unruly apprentices; it was situated in the Guildhall. 1840 W. H. Ainsworth Tower of London xiii The walls of the cell, which was called the Little Ease, were so low, and so contrived, that the wretched inmate could neither stand, walk, sit, nor lie at full length within them. 1899 F. T. Bullen Log of Sea-waif 10 The pantry: a sort of little-ease in a corner of the cuddy. 1937 D. L. Sayers Busman's Honeymoon 429 Only if it's a comparatively mild martyrdom, like the little-ease or the stocks. 1985 E. Doughtie Liber Lilliati 172 Campion was placed in the part of the Tower called ‘Little Ease’, and was racked in July and October. 2007 D. M. Rejali Torture & Democracy iv. xiv. 299 British investigators were skeptical whether the Little Ease or tying up was effective in maintaining discipline. 2. figurative and in figurative contexts. Now literary. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [noun] > difficult state of things hard casec1325 box1546 pass1560 little-ease1589 a fine kettle1741 mess1812 how-do-you-do1835 hot mess1867 bed of nails1872 shitter1958 strife1963 1589 G. Gifford Eight Serm. iv. f. 74 His heart is in little ease. 1638 D. Featley Stricturæ in Lyndomastygem ii. 58 in H. Lynde Case for Spectacles In the Romish Purgatory all soules are in little-ease. 1681 Whole Duty of Nations 6 To grant nothing to this consideration, is rather to crowd men into a Little-ease in Religion, than to unite them. 1738 J. Dorman Curiosity, or, Gentleman & Lady's Libr. 60 Here ev'ry Creditor has Right to teize, And make his Home a real Little-Ease. [Note] A Place of Punishment in Guildhall, London, for unruly 'Prentices. 1917 T. Hardy Moments of Vision & Misc. Verses 169 We are out of it all!—yea, in Little-Ease cramped no more! 1989 D. Davie Under Briggflatts ii. 180 The life in [Thom] Gunn's poems is life in Little-ease; and he persuades us..that this is true whether we are ‘straight’ or..‘gay’. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.a1529
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