α. 1800s– trade description.
β. 1800s– trades description.
trade descriptionn.
/ˌtreɪd dᵻˈskrɪpʃn/, U.S. /ˌtreɪd dəˈskrɪpʃən/, /ˌtreɪd diˈskrɪpʃən/ Law (chiefly British).
Information which describes some or all of the features of a commercial service or an item offered for sale (such as physical appearance, place of manufacture, fitness for purpose, etc.). Later also in extended use (often humorous).Ensuring the accuracy of such information is typically a legal obligation for the supplier.
ΚΠ
1844 Times 29 Apr. 8/3 Our patent brandy is the produce of British grain—as the trade description of it comes within the scope of ‘high-sounding titles’.
1883 Law Times 22 Dec. 504/2 It could be shown that the words ‘The Home Washer’ ought never to have been registered, being a mere trade description of a patented article.
1915 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 9 Jan. 78/1 The trade description shall include, in legible character and conspicuously displayed, the following words: ‘Not suitable for infants under the age of 6 months’.
1954 Manch. Guardian 7 May 2/4 The law did not compel a trader to apply a trade description to his good, but if he did so it must not be misleading.
1995 Yorks. Evening Press 20 May 5/1 [He] pleaded guilty to supplying goods with a false trade description.
2015 Times (Nexis) 16 May (Mag.) 20 Here are some other things that don't offend me. Being called ‘love’ by a bloke, or ‘darling’, or ‘lady’, or ‘girl’. (Although I do think that last one is pushing it on a trade-descriptions level).
Compounds
Trade Descriptions Act n. (also erroneously Trades Description Act) any of various pieces of legislation (esp. in Britain, the Trade Descriptions Act of 1968) which place an obligation on suppliers to ensure that any description of their goods or services is accurate; later also in extended (usually humorous) use.
ΚΠ
1906 Commonw. Austral. Parl. Deb. 1905 28 4920/1 If the title I suggest were adopted [sc. the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905], the Act would no doubt come to be known as ‘The Trade Descriptions Act,’ which would be a very good name for it.
1968 Guardian 9 Aug. 8/5 Sir, The Trade Descriptions Act, 1968, which comes into force on November 30th, 1968,..makes a false or misleading indication of price an offence.
1979 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 13 Jan. 112/2 If the Trades Description Act were applicable to misleading book titles..this book would have to be retitled.
1991 Which? Mar. 152/2 Selling a car with a false mileage is an offence under various pieces of legislation—the Trade Descriptions Act or the Theft Act.
2015 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 25 May 66 Currently the discussion in our house..is about what to do with our outside space. I'd hesitate to describe it as a garden as I think that would breach the Trade Descriptions Act.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1844- to give hell
- to give her head
- to give her jotters
- to give her leave
- to give her own
- to give her paiks
- to give her running shoes
- to give her the gas
- to give her the gun
- to give him a fly
- to give his due
- to give his etc due
- to give his gruel
- to give his head
- to give his her due
- to give his jotters
- to give his leave
- to give his load
- to give his or her fairing
- to give his own
- to give his own or his due
- to give his paiks
- to give his running shoes
- to give horns to
- to give hot beef