Tawdry (adj)
taw-dree
Gaudy, showy and cheap. Low or mean.
1605–15; short for ( Sain ) t Audrey lace, i.e., neck lace bought at St. Audrey’s Fair in Ely, England; so called after St. Audrey ( Old English Aethelthrȳth, died 679), Northumbrian queen and patron saint of Ely, who, according to tradition, died of a throat tumor which she considered just punishment of her youthful liking for neck laces
Example sentences
“I’d had enough of the whole tawdry business!”
Beloved Star Trek actor, author and LGBTQ+ icon, George Takei is fighting against the rising censorship of books, in particular LGBTQ+ literature, during this year’s Banned Books Week. Takei who…
British author, best known for her long-running Rutshire Chronicles series including the recently adapted 'Rivals' novel, Dame Jilly Cooper, has sadly passed away at the age 88. Her children, Felix…
Medley (noun) med-lee a mixture, especially of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge; jumble. First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English noun and adjective medle(e), medlei(e), maedlai(e) “battle, war, quarrel; mixture, balanced mixture,” from…
There are many reasons that readers might want to break up with Goodreads, not simply because of its connection to the retail giant, Amazon but also because of the way…
On 1 October 2025, the world lost Dame Jane Goodall, DBE, a pioneering primatologist, conservationist, writer, and tireless advocate for animals and the natural world. She was 91. Her passing…
