nattilyadv.
/ˈnatᵻli/, U.S. /ˈnædəli/ 1. Neatly, smartly.
ΚΠ
1835 G. Daniel Virgil in London ii, in Mod. Dunciad (new ed.) 133 The stiff-starch'd cravat, and the ruffled shirt! Thus nattily equipp'd, a London spark!
1890 B. Hall Turnover Club 65 We met a bright-looking coloured boy, who was nattily attired in a plaid suit.
1984 A. Carter Nights at Circus ii. vii. 150 A young lady—fair-haired, slim, nattily turned out in red wool.
1994 Asian Age 17 Nov. 1/3 Nattily dressed in a starched white lungi and a green Marks and Spencer sweater.
2. Deftly, dexterously. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > fashionableness > [adverb] > smartly
smartly1748
smartish1770
smart1771
flashly1812
dashingly1837
nattily1849
nobbily1859
stylishly1879
chicly1905
ritzily1925
snappily1936
the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > pleasing appearance > [adverb] > neatly or trimly
feata1525
pickedlya1528
trimly1534
trim1544
netly1564
neata1578
neatly1577
smugly?1578
deftly1579
neatly1581
trickly1581
trick1594
sprucely1598
spruce?1605
comptly1611
snogly1615
spruntly1631
queemly1703
snodly1721
trigly1728
tidilya1756
natty1810
spick and span1815
tightly1825
featly1834
jemmily1837
nattily1849
dapperly1858
snappily1936
1849 C. Brontë Shirley II. iv. 108 Putting it [sc. a posy] gallantly and nattily into his button-hole.
1860 All Year Round 11 Feb. 365 See how nattily the men bind the tubes with fine wire.
1927 F. W. Crofts Inspector French & Starvel Trag. xvii. 246 He..nattily untied the knot on the cord.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.1835