mealy-mouthedadj.

Brit.

/ˈmiːlɪˌmaʊðd/, U.S.

/ˈmiliˌmaʊðd/,

/ˈmiliˌmaʊθt/

Forms: see mealy adj. and mouthed adj.; also 1600s mealely mouthed.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: mealy adj., mouthed adj.

Etymology: < mealy adj. + mouthed adj. Compare earlier meal-mouthed adj., and later mealy-mouth n.

a. Reticent; not outspoken; afraid to speak one's mind or to use plain terms. Also (now the usual sense): ingratiating, unctuous; hypocritical.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > equivocal quality, ambiguity > [adjective] > of persons, speech

ambiguous1560

meal-mouthed1570

mealy-mouthed1571

mealy1573

mealmouth1575

Janian1598

equivocant1609

bird-mouthed1610

equivocating1645

Janus-like1656

Janus-faceda1682

equivocatory1821

Samsonian1861

weasel1912

weasel-worded1923

stuttery1937

bet-hedging1971

the mind > emotion > fear > timidity > [adjective] > mealy-mouthed

meal-mouthed1570

mealy-mouthed1571

mealmouth1575

potato-mouthed1930

1571 J. Chillester tr. P. Bouaisteau Inst. Christian Princes Prol. 5 These flattering and mealy mouthed Friendes of the pleasaunt Court..oftentymes do..passe vnder consent the enormities and abuses they see at the eie.

1575 G. Gascoigne Fruites of Warre lxxxvi, in Posies sig. I ii ^v So were more meete for mealy mouthed men.

1606 J. Day Ile of Guls sig. G4 And ile not be mealely mouth'd I warrant em.

1679 ‘T. Ticklefoot’ Some Observ. Tryals Wakeman 7 He was not mealy mouth'd, but would..have talked his mind to Knights, or any Body.

1788 J. Wesley in Wks. (1872) VII. 106 Carry your point, whatever it costs. Be not mealy-mouthed.

1855 Ld. Tennyson Brook in Maud & Other Poems 106 Mealy-mouth'd philanthropies.

1887 W. Besant World Went xvi. 138 None of your mincing, mealy-mouthed, fine ladies.

1934 G. B. Shaw Too True to be Good iii If you get a gentleman, all he cares about is to shew you that he's a real sport and not a mealy mouthed parson.

1971 H. Wouk Winds of War xix. 264 Don't be mealymouthed with me.

1990 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 6 Jan. (Weekend Suppl) 4/7 He had a prolonged mealy-mouthed relationship with the TV evangelists now facing their own disgrace.

b. Overscrupulous. rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > morality > duty or obligation > recognition of duty > [adjective] > conscientious > excessively conscientious

scripulousc1443

overscrupulous1549

strait-laced1554

conscionable1559

squeamish1581

spice-conscienced1600

spice-consciencec1613

scrupulous1779

mealy-mouthed1809

1809 B. H. Malkin tr. A. R. Le Sage Adventures Gil Blas IV. xii. xiv. 452 You are not mealy-mouthed about receiving a commoner into your pedigree.

2. literal. Of a horse: having a ‘mealy’ mouth (see mealy adj. 4). rare.

ΚΠ

1677 London Gaz. No. 1198/4 A brown bay Gelding, with a shorn Mane, mealy mouth'd,..'twixt 14 and 15 hands.

Derivatives

ˈmealy-ˌmouthedly adv. rare

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > equivocal quality, ambiguity > [adverb]

ambiguously1534

equivocally1630

escapinglya1631

equivocatingly1652

bifariously1657

equivocally1660

amphibologically1755

mealy-mouthedly1838

1838 R. Southey Doctor V. 151 He is not given to speak, as his friends the Portugueze say, enfarinhadamente—which is being interpreted, mealy-mouthedly.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	mealy-mouthed
释义	mealy-mouthedadj. Brit. /ˈmiːlɪˌmaʊðd/, U.S. /ˈmiliˌmaʊðd/, /ˈmiliˌmaʊθt/ Forms: see mealy adj. and mouthed adj.; also 1600s mealely mouthed. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: mealy adj., mouthed adj. Etymology: < mealy adj. + mouthed adj. Compare earlier meal-mouthed adj., and later mealy-mouth n. 1. a. Reticent; not outspoken; afraid to speak one's mind or to use plain terms. Also (now the usual sense): ingratiating, unctuous; hypocritical. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > equivocal quality, ambiguity > [adjective] > of persons, speech ambiguous1560 meal-mouthed1570 mealy-mouthed1571 mealy1573 mealmouth1575 Janian1598 equivocant1609 bird-mouthed1610 equivocating1645 Janus-like1656 Janus-faceda1682 equivocatory1821 Samsonian1861 weasel1912 weasel-worded1923 stuttery1937 bet-hedging1971 the mind > emotion > fear > timidity > [adjective] > mealy-mouthed meal-mouthed1570 mealy-mouthed1571 mealmouth1575 potato-mouthed1930 1571 J. Chillester tr. P. Bouaisteau Inst. Christian Princes Prol. 5 These flattering and mealy mouthed Friendes of the pleasaunt Court..oftentymes do..passe vnder consent the enormities and abuses they see at the eie. 1575 G. Gascoigne Fruites of Warre lxxxvi, in Posies sig. I ii ^v So were more meete for mealy mouthed men. 1606 J. Day Ile of Guls sig. G4 And ile not be mealely mouth'd I warrant em. 1679 ‘T. Ticklefoot’ Some Observ. Tryals Wakeman 7 He was not mealy mouth'd, but would..have talked his mind to Knights, or any Body. 1788 J. Wesley in Wks. (1872) VII. 106 Carry your point, whatever it costs. Be not mealy-mouthed. 1855 Ld. Tennyson Brook in Maud & Other Poems 106 Mealy-mouth'd philanthropies. 1887 W. Besant World Went xvi. 138 None of your mincing, mealy-mouthed, fine ladies. 1934 G. B. Shaw Too True to be Good iii If you get a gentleman, all he cares about is to shew you that he's a real sport and not a mealy mouthed parson. 1971 H. Wouk Winds of War xix. 264 Don't be mealymouthed with me. 1990 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 6 Jan. (Weekend Suppl) 4/7 He had a prolonged mealy-mouthed relationship with the TV evangelists now facing their own disgrace. b. Overscrupulous. rare. ΘΚΠ society > morality > duty or obligation > recognition of duty > [adjective] > conscientious > excessively conscientious scripulousc1443 overscrupulous1549 strait-laced1554 conscionable1559 squeamish1581 spice-conscienced1600 spice-consciencec1613 scrupulous1779 mealy-mouthed1809 1809 B. H. Malkin tr. A. R. Le Sage Adventures Gil Blas IV. xii. xiv. 452 You are not mealy-mouthed about receiving a commoner into your pedigree. 2. literal. Of a horse: having a ‘mealy’ mouth (see mealy adj. 4). rare. ΚΠ 1677 London Gaz. No. 1198/4 A brown bay Gelding, with a shorn Mane, mealy mouth'd,..'twixt 14 and 15 hands. Derivatives ˈmealy-ˌmouthedly adv. rare ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > equivocal quality, ambiguity > [adverb] ambiguously1534 equivocally1630 escapinglya1631 equivocatingly1652 bifariously1657 equivocally1660 amphibologically1755 mealy-mouthedly1838 1838 R. Southey Doctor V. 151 He is not given to speak, as his friends the Portugueze say, enfarinhadamente—which is being interpreted, mealy-mouthedly. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.1571
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