The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
DOWDILY
dowdily, frumpily, frumpishly
(adverb) in a dowdy unfashionable manner; “she dresses dowdily”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adverb
dowdily (comparative more dowdily, superlative most dowdily)
In a dowdy manner
Source: Wiktionary
DOWDY
Dow"dy, a. [Compar. Dowdier; superl. Dowdiest.] Etym: [Scot. dawdie slovenly, daw, da sluggard, drab, Prov. E. dowd flat, dead.]
Definition: Showing a vulgar taste in dress; awkward and slovenly in dress; vulgar-looking.
– Dow"di*ly, adv.
– Dow"di*ness, n.
Dow"dy, n.; pl. Dowdies (.
Definition: An awkward, vulgarly dressed, inelegant woman. Shak. Dryden.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
12 May 2025
UNSEASONED
(adjective) not tried or tested by experience; “unseasoned artillery volunteers”; “still untested in battle”; “an illustrator untried in mural painting”; “a young hand at plowing”
Coffee Trivia
