APPEARANCE
ADJECTIVES
► BADLY LOOKING of repulsive or evil appearance → 1898 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► BAD TO LIKE of unpromising appearance → 1889 Eng. dial.
► BEST LIKE best-looking → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► BETTER-LIKE better-looking; looking better in health, etc. → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► DAGGY of clothes, appearance, etc.: dirty; filthy; slovenly; messy; unkempt; unpleasant → 1967 Aust. sl.
► HAND-ME-DOWN LOOKING worthless, good-for-nothing in appearance → 1895 Eng. dial.
► LEARY ► LEERY of personal appearance: somewhat wild → 1850 sl.
► LOOKINGEST most extraordinary in appearance → 1932 Amer. dial.
► MARRIED of women: faded, careless in appearance or dress → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► MARRIED ALL OVER said of a woman who, after marriage, becomes changed for the worse in appearance → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► PARISANT seemly, of good appearance → 1400 obs.
► PRINKY overly concerned with one’s appearance → 1941 Amer. dial.
► QUEME of pleasing appearance; beautiful, fair; neat, tidy → 1300 obs.
► SKAIR-LIKE ► SKAIR-LOOKING having a wild or frightened appearance → 1904 Sc. (Bk.)
► THIEF-LIKE having the appearance of a blackguard → 1905 Sc. (Bk.)
► UGGLE having an appearance or aspect which causes dread or horror; frightful or horrible → 1499 obs.
► VADY ► VAUDIE ► VAUDY gay or fine in appearance → 1805 Sc.
► VIEWLY presenting a good appearance or view; seemly → 1880 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
► ZOON-BAT funny-looking → 20C Can. sl.
NOUNS
► AFFAIR appearance, bearing, deportment, conduct → 1375 obs.
► ANLETH a person’s face or countenance; also, a person’s appearance or looks → 1000 obs.
► ANSINE appearance, outward aspect, look, form → 1250 obs.
► APPEAR appearance → 1610 Eng. dial.
► APPEARMENT appearance → 1898 Amer. dial.
► BESEEMING appearance, look → 1611 obs.
► BLEE appearance, form → 1000 obs.
► BLUSH appearance, resemblance → 1898 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► CUT OF ONE’S JIB, THE the peculiar or characteristic appearance of a person; one’s personal appearance or look → 1823 colloq., orig. nautical usage
► DAPS likeness in appearance and ways, resemblance → 1583 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
► EFFECT an appearance, phenomenon; an outward manifestation, sign, token, symptom → 1450 obs.
► EFFEIR appearance, bearing; show, pomp and circumstance; ceremony → 1375 arch.
► FACE personal appearance → 1925 Aust. sl.
► FARE appearance, aspect → 1297 obs.
► FAREING ► FARING appearance; feeling; generally used in plural → 1864 Eng. dial.
► FARRAND appearance, custom; disposition, nature → 1790 Eng. dial.
► FAVOUR appearance, aspect, look → 1450 obs. exc. arch or Eng. dial.
► FLINK appearance, figure → 1847 Eng. dial.
► FRIGHT something of a shocking, grotesque, unkempt, or ridiculous appearance → 1751 colloq.
► GAYNESS gay appearance, brightness of colour, dressiness, display, pomp → 1449 obs.
► KENNING appearance → 1300 obs.
► LATE appearance; aspect; outward manner or bearing → 1200 obs.
► LOOK-SEE appearance, aspect → 1898
► ONSENE appearance, countenance, face; look, aspect → 897 obs.
► OUTWARD ADAM one’s appearance, body, exterior → 1837 Amer. dial.
► PEAR an appearance → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► SIGHT appearance, aspect, look → 1205 obs.
► TRAVESTIMENT a changing one’s dress or appearance, typically to disguise oneself → 1832
► UG a bad or grotesque appearance → 1905 Sc. & Eng. dial. (Bk.)
NOUNS – PERSON
► BOWHEAD a young woman who pays a good deal of attention to her looks, dress, and general image → 1980 US students’ sl.
► LOOKIST a person who discriminates on the grounds of appearance → 1990
► BESS ► BESS O’ BEDLAM a female of wild or disorderly appearance → 1898 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► BLASH-BOGGART a person who is wild or strange in appearance → 1870 Eng. dial.
► BLUP a person who makes an awkward appearance → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► DANDILLY a woman conceited of her personal appearance; a vain woman; a pet, a darling → 1697 Sc.
► DASHER a person of extraordinary appearance, as a remarkably stout person → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► FADGE a person jaded in appearance → 19C
► FRIGHT a person of a shocking, grotesque, unkempt, or ridiculous appearance → 1751 colloq.
► GARGOYLE a person of unpleasant appearance → 1864
► HEAVY SWELL a man of showy or impressive appearance; one dressed in the height of fashion → 1830
PHRASES
► LIKE A SINGED CAT applied to anything whose appearance does it injustice → 1905 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
VERBS
► AFFLUDE to injure the appearance or looks of anything; to disguise → 1898 Sc. (Bk.)
► BLUSH to be like in appearance, to resemble → 1790 Eng. dial.
► DEACON to arrange so as to present a specious and attractive appearance; to present the best and largest specimens (of fruit or vegetables) to view and conceal the defective ones → 1855 US sl.
► PAINT THE BUS to change something’s appearance without changing its basic foundations → 1974 US sl.
► SHARPEN to improve one’s appearance, smarten oneself up → M20 colloq.
► TURN THE BEST SIDE OUTWARD to make the best appearance possible → 1663
► VARNISH to cover with a specious or deceptive appearance; to gloss over, to disguise → 1571
Lexicophilia 