Alice
(ˈælɪs)
1. The name of the heroine of two books by ‘Lewis Carroll’ (C. L. Dodgson, 1832–98), ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland’ (1865) and ‘Through the Looking-Glass’ (1871), used allusively with reference to these books, their heroine or her fantastic adventures. So Alice-in-Wonderland used attrib.; Alice band: a type of hair-band, as worn by Alice in Tenniel's illustrations to ‘Through the Looking-Glass’.
| 1925 D. H. Lawrence Let. 6 Oct. (1962) II. 857 England is the most fantastic Alice-in-Wonderland country. 1931 Observer 19 Apr. 22/2 They [sc. trout] flourish and increase in size..at an Alice-in-Wonderland rate. 1935 E. Bowen House in Paris i. ii. 34 ‘Oh, don't be such a baby!’ said Henrietta..with her most Alice-ish air. 1940 N. & Q. CLXXIX. 395/1 Tweedledee in the first of the Alice books. 1945 E. Bowen Demon Lover 170 Weeks of exile from any hairdresser had driven Miss Bates to the Alice-in-Wonderland style. 1955 ‘C. Brown’ Lost Girls xiii. 141 Holding it [sc. her hair] in place with an Alice band. 1959 Sunday Express 14 June 1/4 Princess Anne, wearing a dress of flowered silk and an Alice band over her fair hair. 1961 Guardian 21 Mar. 2/4 A {pstlg}1,500 council house is costing my city over {pstlg}6,000. This is an Alice in Wonderland situation. |
2. The name of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of the American President Theodore Roosevelt, used attrib. to designate a light greenish-blue colour. orig. U.S.
| 1921 Collier's 19 Feb., Mood change carefree to gay record-creation causing such change Alice blue gown. 1946 T. Jones Skinny Angel 149 She sat straight-spined on the edge of her chair as she said this, a lovely figure in Alice blue. 1959 Woman's Own 16 May 12/3 An Alice blue dress. |