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.
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.
Related words
The facts given don't support tracing tawdry to any other English cognate beyond its origin in Æðelþrȳð.
More words
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