Marcel, n.
(mɑːˈsɛl)
Also with lower-case initial.
[f. the name of Fran{cced}ois Marcel Grateau (1852–1936), French hairdresser who invented the method.]
In full, Marcel wave. A kind of artificial wave of the hair produced by using heated curling-tongs. Also fig.
| 1895 in N. & Q. (1941) 6 Sept. 129/1 (Advt.), Experts in the Marcel and Last Vienna Wave. 1908 Smart Set Sept. 86/1 And when she ‘comes to’, her Marcelle wave is straight as a shad. 1909 ‘O. Henry’ Roads of Destiny 62 Man, what do you suppose she did? Loosened up like a Marcel wave in the surf at Coney. 1926 Glasgow Herald 25 Sept. 9 It began to rain... Many a beautiful marcel was sacrificed to save a masterpiece of millinery. 1930 R. Macaulay Staying with Relations xvi. 226 Little marcel waves lapped at the Eugenia's white sides as she lay at anchor in the San José harbour. 1934 E. Sitwell Aspects Mod. Poetry i. 11 Mr. Austin Dobson, and his Marcel Waves, the wriggling, giggling horrors of his Triolets and other imitations of French forms. 1964 L. Hairston in J. H. Clarke Harlem 285 The waves in my hair done unstrung... I..called Sonny for an appointment; I had to have a marcel! |
b. Comb., as Marcel-waved, Marcel-waver, Marcel-waving.
| 1908 ‘O. Henry’ Gentle Grafter ii. 71 A combination steak beater, shoe horn, marcel waver. 1923 Chambers's Jrnl. Sept. 568/1 She could lie without turning one of her exquisitely marcel-waved hairs. 1925 Daily Tel. 13 May 20/5 (Advt.), Expert Marcel Waver and Manicurist. Ibid., Marcel and water waving. 1927 Daily Express 30 Nov. 13 Miss Aylwin has been earning her living..doing shingling and marcel waving. 1932 [see finger-waving vbl. n.]. 1968 Times 30 Jan. 9/7 Your head is frizzed or Marcel-waved. 1974 Daily Tel. 7 Aug. 11/2 This drawing-room comedy of 1931 has been carefully resuscitated..with wind-up gramophone, a marcel-waved heroine and snip⁓snap jokes. 1974 Observer 24 Nov. 29/6 There's a lady in Wellington, New Zealand, who was still doing marcel waving from the first time round when it came back again. |