Dictionary

straight-laced en · ADJ

Etymology

Widely agreed to have originated (centuries ago) in homophonic confusion (in speech) of strait-laced (“tight-laced”), but long since so widely accepted and used, because having such strongly apparent analogy with straight in its senses relating to orthodoxy and conformity (compare squareness), that it can no longer accurately be called erroneous; instead it is an established alternative form with its own reanalyzed surface analysis. Compare straitjacket with *straightjacket; the latter is still usually regarded as an error, but the relationship is analogous.

Meanings

1. Having narrow views on moral matters; prudish.
   • Me thinks St. Augustin was too straight-laced in not liking Organs in Churches. 1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 20:

Forms

Synonyms

stuffy · tight-laced

Translations (19)

cs upjatý (having narrow views on moral matters) · pl ortodoksyjny (having narrow views on moral matters) · pl konserwatywny (having narrow views on moral matters) · cmn 拘謹 /拘谨 (having narrow views on moral matters) · fr prude (having narrow views on moral matters) · cmn 保守 (having narrow views on moral matters) · fi tiukkapipoinen (having narrow views on moral matters) · fi ahdasmielinen (having narrow views on moral matters) · cs prudérní (having narrow views on moral matters) · de puritanisch (having narrow views on moral matters) · pl pruderyjny (having narrow views on moral matters) · pl purytański (having narrow views on moral matters) · es conservador (having narrow views on moral matters) · cmn 古板 (having narrow views on moral matters) · cmn 守舊 /守旧 (having narrow views on moral matters) · de sittenstreng (having narrow views on moral matters) · cs puritánský (having narrow views on moral matters) · de züchtig (having narrow views on moral matters) · nl bekrompen (having narrow views on moral matters)