prig en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /pɹɪɡ/
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
UK 16th century. Of unknown origin. Earlier noun senses ("tinker" and "thief"), as hyponyms of "undesirable person", may have informed later senses ("conceited person").
Meanings
-
A deliberately superior person; a person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.
What spruce prig is that?
1676, George Etherege, The Man of Mode, act 3, scene 3:I have always had a regard for dunces; — those of my own school-days were amongst the pleasantest of the fellows, and have turned out by no means the dullest in life; whereas many a youth who could turn off Latin hexameters by the yard, and construe Greek quite glibly, is no better than a feeble prig now, with not a pennyworth more brains than were in his head before his beard grew.
1849, William Makepeace Thackeray, “A Hopeless Case”, in Doctor Birch:A prig is a fellow who is always making you a present of his opinions.
1871–1872, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], Middlemarch […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book (please specify |book=I to VIII):
-
(archaic) A conceited dandy; a fop.
A rap now at the door made all resound, / And in two bouncing blowings did rebound, / With two flash-men, a dandy, and a prig', / With whom they had been running of the rig.
1822, Thomas Dolby, Benchiana, page 67:The manner of the scholar had nearly disappeared; still more the manner of the drawing-room young man. A prig would have said that he had lost his culture, and a prude that he had become coarse.
1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, page 140:
-
(Ireland, UK, archaic, qualifier:thieves' cant) A tinker.
These droncken Tynckers, called also Prygges.
1566, Thomas Harman, A Caveat or Warning for Common Cursitors:
-
(Ireland, UK, archaic, qualifier:thieves' cant) A petty thief or pickpocket.
But a policeman captur'd the naughty boy, / And gave the goose to Smiggs, / And said he was greatly bother'd / By a set of juvenile prigs.
a. 1890, William McGonagall, The Christmas Goose:Oh, why didn't he rob some rich old gentleman of all his walables, and go out as a gentleman, and not like a common prig, without no honour nor glory!
1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], Oliver Twist; […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC:Out upon him! Prig, for my life, prig! He haunts / wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings.
c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| prigs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
priggism · work on the prig · priggess · prig napper · parish prig · priggery · prig-star · priggish · prig and buz · prighood · priggishly · prigdom
Relateds
Synonyms
foretop · gallant · fashionable · lifter · Jemmy-Jessamy · tippy · beau · fop · flogger · stealer · spark · pickpocketer · puss-gentleman · nicker · dip · puritan · dike · foist · jack-a-dandy · dipper · filcher · snitch · pickpurse · dood · abstractor · bagger · spiff · pincher · cutpurse · pretty boy · macaroni · cockscomb · mignon · popinjay · prude · thiever · go · blade · dude · faker · metrosexual · tea leaf · pickpocket · nip · larcener · dandy · jetter · booster · goody-goody · masher · petit maître · fine gentleman · heister · purloiner · misappropriator · liberator · thief · borrower · buck · cribber · prig · carpet knight · exquisite · fast man · appropriator · smart · blood · gonoph · dudelet · nipper · footpad · prig · larcenist · swell · barbermonger · toff · fribble
Translations (20)
hu tolvaj (a petty thief) · ru воришка (a petty thief) · sh kokošar (a petty thief) · cs moralista (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · cs puntičkář (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · de Musterknabe (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · ru резонёр (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · fr bégueule (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · hu fosztogató (a petty thief) · cs povýšenec (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · sh sitni lopov (a petty thief) · bg джебчия (a petty thief) · de Tugendbold (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · hu tudálékos/álszent (ember/alak) (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · bg педант (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · hu zsebtolvaj (a petty thief) · es meapilas (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · cs puritán (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · mi whakakake (a person showing exaggerated conformity) · cs zloděj (a petty thief)