tawdry
TAW-dree · adjective
Old EnglishEnglish
Origin
Tawdry began as a shortening of "tawdry lace," itself a corruption of "Saint Audrey lace" — necklaces sold at fairs in honor of Saint Audrey, from the Old English name Æðelþrȳð.
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Journey
When these laces fell out of fashion in the 17th century, the word tawdry was reinterpreted to mean cheap or vulgar, losing its connection to the saint entirely.
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