milk-and-watern.adj.

Brit.

/ˌmɪlk(ə)n(d)ˈwɔːtə/, U.S.

/ˌmɪlk(ə)n(d)ˈwɔdər/,

/ˌmɪlk(ə)n(d)ˈwɑdər/

Forms: see milk n.¹ and water n.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: milk n.¹, and conj.¹, water n.

Etymology: < milk n.¹ + and conj.¹ + water n.

A. n.

†1. The colour of milk and water; a bluish white colour. Frequently in extended use: a kind of cloth of this colour. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > [noun] > bluish white

milk-and-water1511

blue-white1787

clair-de-lune1877

the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric of specific colour > [noun] > white or pale

whitec1325

milk-and-water1511

1511 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1902) IV. 245 For iij elnis Franche claith of the new mylk and wattir, to be him ane coit.

1515–16 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1903) V. 75 xvj elne of claith callit mylk and watter.

1555 in Beck's Draper's Dict. (1886) (at cited word) xj yards of mylke and watter, 18s.

1562 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories Archdeaconry Richmond (1853) 152 To Charles my Sone..one clock [i.e. cloak] of colour callid milk and watter.

1571 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories N. Counties Eng. (1835) I. 363 xv yeardes of blewe carsay xv^s—j pece of mylk & watter j¹ ij^s [etc.].

1573 in W. Cramond Rec. Elgin (1903) I. 142 Thre elnis of milk and vatter cleth.

2. figurative. Something feeble, insipid, or mawkish (esp. applied to discourse, thought, sentiment, etc.).

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [noun] > weak writing or discourse

wash1548

insipidness1711

writation1757

milk-and-water1792

wish-wash1842

slush1869

hogwash1870

insipidity1875

slosh1894

1792 T. Jefferson 1 Oct. in Papers (1990) XXIV. 435 I had heard him say that this constitution was a shilly shally thing of mere milk and water, which could not last.

1807 R. Southey Lett. from Eng. III. lvi. 64 For the most part the praise of these critics is milk and water, and their censure sour small-beer.

1819 Ld. Byron Let. 1 Feb. (1976) VI. 99 The discouragement of the milk and water they have thrown upon the First [Canto].

1844 W. M. Thackeray Crit. Rev. in Wks. (1886) XXIII. 208 Inspired by that milk-and-water of human kindness.

1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset II. li. 79 The conversation had had so much of milk-and-water in its composition, that [etc.].

1957 R. Hoggart Uses of Literacy (1959) 179 They claim to be stirring, but are as milk-and-water compared with what one may find in almost any sex-and-crime novelette.

1989 L. Clarke Chymical Wedding 264 The man felt sorrier for himself than for his wife? He was all milk and water. He lacked the fire to take a firm hand with the woman.

B. adj.

Consisting of or like milk diluted with water. Hence: insipid, feeble, wishy-washy, mawkish, weakly amiable; (of a person) lacking the will or ability to act effectively.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [adjective] > vapid or insipid

pappy1597

watery1605

milk-and-water1753

vapid1758

unracy1782

swashy1796

washy1806

milk-and-waterish1807

wish-washy1814

insipid1845

1753 H. Darby Let. 24 June in E. Greg Reynolds–Rathbone Diaries & Lett. (1905) 181 Their eggs and milk and water porige with such like diate..was the chief of what I lived on.

1783 Jrnl. Amer. Congr. (1823) IV. 209 Change the milk-and-water style of your last memorial; assume a bolder tone.

1799 S. T. Coleridge Let. 19 Dec. (1956) I. 549 Dyer..has written a silly milk-&-water Life of you [i.e. Southey].

1823 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto VIII xc. 156 All their pretty milk-and-water ways.

1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) viii. 72 My rascals are no milk-and-water rascals.

1870 J. H. Friswell Mod. Men of Lett. i. 14 A milk-and-water damsel of the real Dickensian ideal.

1928 C. C. Andrews Recoll. 206 It was the milk and water policy of the government that encouraged the southern people to act as they did.

1950 Sport 24–30 Mar. 3/4 Greatest performance of the day was the..fight-back of Notts County, whose performance..made the Cup revival of Arsenal appear milk-and-water stuff by comparison.

1993 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 3 Mar. 40/3 If this alliance wins the election it seems likely..to form a moderate, not to say milk-and-water government.

Compounds

Complementary

milk-and-water-looking adj.

ΚΠ

1864 R. B. Kimball Was he Successful? iv. 36 A pale, milk-and-water-looking youth.

Derivatives

milk-and-ˈwateriness n.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > aspects of emotion > sentimentality > [noun]

sentiment1747

sentimentality1770

mawkishness1796

sensiblerie1815

sentimentalism1818

sloppiness1828

morbidezza1833

milk-and-wateriness1834

maudlin1838

soothing syrup1839

emotionalism1846

stickiness1864

slop1866

mushiness1868

saccharinity1868

sympatheticism1884

hearts and flowers1911

lovey-doveyness1923

schmaltz1934

goop1950

goo1951

schmaltziness1953

gloop1957

cheesiness1963

soupiness1963

soft-centredness1967

soppiness1974

the mind > emotion > suffering > feeling of weariness or tedium > [noun] > state or quality of being wearisome or tedious > blandness or insipidity

flashinessa1603

frigidity1642

insipidness1711

insipidity1715

vapidity1721

vapidness1727

corporateness1755

vapidism1831

milk-and-wateriness1834

saltlessness1867

1834 Westm. Rev. 20 268 The ancient beauty.., however, opines in the milk-and-wateriness of her benevolence, that ‘an adjustment of the question on this footing would satisfy all reasonable persons’.

milk-and-ˈwaterish adj.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [adjective] > vapid or insipid

pappy1597

watery1605

milk-and-water1753

vapid1758

unracy1782

swashy1796

washy1806

milk-and-waterish1807

wish-washy1814

insipid1845

1807 W. Scott Let. Nov.–Dec. (1932) I. 392 It..would be giving the signal to build some vile milk-&-waterish legendary tale upon so beautiful a subject.

1873 Appletons' Jrnl. 19 July 95/3 Mr. Bradlaugh found that Spanish republicans consider the English type of republicanism decidedly tame, effete, and milk-and-waterish.

milk-and-ˈwatery adj.

ΚΠ

1819 Metropolis (ed. 2) II. 94 As milk-and-watery as a Roman senator.

1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iv. iii. 180 This gentleman..is more milk and watery with you than I'll be.

1989 Boardroom July 46/1 If only all vendors would knock ten per cent off their prices..a rather milk and watery market would perk up and start acting as if it had some fire in its belly.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	milk-and-water
释义	milk-and-watern.adj. Brit. /ˌmɪlk(ə)n(d)ˈwɔːtə/, U.S. /ˌmɪlk(ə)n(d)ˈwɔdər/, /ˌmɪlk(ə)n(d)ˈwɑdər/ Forms: see milk n.¹ and water n. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: milk n.¹, and conj.¹, water n. Etymology: < milk n.¹ + and conj.¹ + water n. A. n. †1. The colour of milk and water; a bluish white colour. Frequently in extended use: a kind of cloth of this colour. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > colour > named colours > white or whiteness > [noun] > bluish white milk-and-water1511 blue-white1787 clair-de-lune1877 the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric of specific colour > [noun] > white or pale whitec1325 milk-and-water1511 1511 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1902) IV. 245 For iij elnis Franche claith of the new mylk and wattir, to be him ane coit. 1515–16 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1903) V. 75 xvj elne of claith callit mylk and watter. 1555 in Beck's Draper's Dict. (1886) (at cited word) xj yards of mylke and watter, 18s. 1562 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories Archdeaconry Richmond (1853) 152 To Charles my Sone..one clock [i.e. cloak] of colour callid milk and watter. 1571 in J. Raine Wills & Inventories N. Counties Eng. (1835) I. 363 xv yeardes of blewe carsay xv^s—j pece of mylk & watter j¹ ij^s [etc.]. 1573 in W. Cramond Rec. Elgin (1903) I. 142 Thre elnis of milk and vatter cleth. 2. figurative. Something feeble, insipid, or mawkish (esp. applied to discourse, thought, sentiment, etc.). ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [noun] > weak writing or discourse wash1548 insipidness1711 writation1757 milk-and-water1792 wish-wash1842 slush1869 hogwash1870 insipidity1875 slosh1894 1792 T. Jefferson 1 Oct. in Papers (1990) XXIV. 435 I had heard him say that this constitution was a shilly shally thing of mere milk and water, which could not last. 1807 R. Southey Lett. from Eng. III. lvi. 64 For the most part the praise of these critics is milk and water, and their censure sour small-beer. 1819 Ld. Byron Let. 1 Feb. (1976) VI. 99 The discouragement of the milk and water they have thrown upon the First [Canto]. 1844 W. M. Thackeray Crit. Rev. in Wks. (1886) XXIII. 208 Inspired by that milk-and-water of human kindness. 1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset II. li. 79 The conversation had had so much of milk-and-water in its composition, that [etc.]. 1957 R. Hoggart Uses of Literacy (1959) 179 They claim to be stirring, but are as milk-and-water compared with what one may find in almost any sex-and-crime novelette. 1989 L. Clarke Chymical Wedding 264 The man felt sorrier for himself than for his wife? He was all milk and water. He lacked the fire to take a firm hand with the woman. B. adj. Consisting of or like milk diluted with water. Hence: insipid, feeble, wishy-washy, mawkish, weakly amiable; (of a person) lacking the will or ability to act effectively. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [adjective] > vapid or insipid pappy1597 watery1605 milk-and-water1753 vapid1758 unracy1782 swashy1796 washy1806 milk-and-waterish1807 wish-washy1814 insipid1845 1753 H. Darby Let. 24 June in E. Greg Reynolds–Rathbone Diaries & Lett. (1905) 181 Their eggs and milk and water porige with such like diate..was the chief of what I lived on. 1783 Jrnl. Amer. Congr. (1823) IV. 209 Change the milk-and-water style of your last memorial; assume a bolder tone. 1799 S. T. Coleridge Let. 19 Dec. (1956) I. 549 Dyer..has written a silly milk-&-water Life of you [i.e. Southey]. 1823 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto VIII xc. 156 All their pretty milk-and-water ways. 1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) viii. 72 My rascals are no milk-and-water rascals. 1870 J. H. Friswell Mod. Men of Lett. i. 14 A milk-and-water damsel of the real Dickensian ideal. 1928 C. C. Andrews Recoll. 206 It was the milk and water policy of the government that encouraged the southern people to act as they did. 1950 Sport 24–30 Mar. 3/4 Greatest performance of the day was the..fight-back of Notts County, whose performance..made the Cup revival of Arsenal appear milk-and-water stuff by comparison. 1993 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 3 Mar. 40/3 If this alliance wins the election it seems likely..to form a moderate, not to say milk-and-water government. Compounds Complementary milk-and-water-looking adj. ΚΠ 1864 R. B. Kimball Was he Successful? iv. 36 A pale, milk-and-water-looking youth. Derivatives milk-and-ˈwateriness n. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > aspects of emotion > sentimentality > [noun] sentiment1747 sentimentality1770 mawkishness1796 sensiblerie1815 sentimentalism1818 sloppiness1828 morbidezza1833 milk-and-wateriness1834 maudlin1838 soothing syrup1839 emotionalism1846 stickiness1864 slop1866 mushiness1868 saccharinity1868 sympatheticism1884 hearts and flowers1911 lovey-doveyness1923 schmaltz1934 goop1950 goo1951 schmaltziness1953 gloop1957 cheesiness1963 soupiness1963 soft-centredness1967 soppiness1974 the mind > emotion > suffering > feeling of weariness or tedium > [noun] > state or quality of being wearisome or tedious > blandness or insipidity flashinessa1603 frigidity1642 insipidness1711 insipidity1715 vapidity1721 vapidness1727 corporateness1755 vapidism1831 milk-and-wateriness1834 saltlessness1867 1834 Westm. Rev. 20 268 The ancient beauty.., however, opines in the milk-and-wateriness of her benevolence, that ‘an adjustment of the question on this footing would satisfy all reasonable persons’. milk-and-ˈwaterish adj. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [adjective] > vapid or insipid pappy1597 watery1605 milk-and-water1753 vapid1758 unracy1782 swashy1796 washy1806 milk-and-waterish1807 wish-washy1814 insipid1845 1807 W. Scott Let. Nov.–Dec. (1932) I. 392 It..would be giving the signal to build some vile milk-&-waterish legendary tale upon so beautiful a subject. 1873 Appletons' Jrnl. 19 July 95/3 Mr. Bradlaugh found that Spanish republicans consider the English type of republicanism decidedly tame, effete, and milk-and-waterish. milk-and-ˈwatery adj. ΚΠ 1819 Metropolis (ed. 2) II. 94 As milk-and-watery as a Roman senator. 1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iv. iii. 180 This gentleman..is more milk and watery with you than I'll be. 1989 Boardroom July 46/1 If only all vendors would knock ten per cent off their prices..a rather milk and watery market would perk up and start acting as if it had some fire in its belly. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022). † milk-and-waterv. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: milk-and-water n. Etymology: < milk-and-water n. Obsolete. rare. 1. transitive. With down. To weaken, to water down; to make less forceful.Apparently an isolated use. ΚΠ 1831 Times 24 Nov. 2/2 The Bill is to be milk-and-watered down to suit the taste of an obstinate faction. 2. intransitive. To feed on milk and water.Apparently an isolated use. ΚΠ 1839 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz (new ed.) 366 Five children milk-and-watering in the parlour. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2002; most recently modified version published online September 2019). < n.adj.1511v.1831
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milk-and-watern.adj.

Compounds

Derivatives

† milk-and-waterv.