prettily, adv.
(ˈprɪtɪlɪ)
Forms: see pretty.
[f. pretty a. + -ly2.]
In a pretty manner.
† 1. In a cunning or clever manner; cleverly, ingeniously, skilfully, neatly. Obs.
| 14.. A.B.C. 6 in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 244 A bok hym is browt..Pratylych I-wrout. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xi. 282 They shoved theym so prately agenste a pyller of marbell stone that their eyen lepte oute of theyr hedes. c 1530 Crt. Love 420 Though thow seest a faut right at thyne y, Excuse it blyve, and glose it pretily. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1676) 881 They were driven to give ground; and so prettily retired, defending the Consull the best they could. 1589 Hay any Work B j, You can shift of an haynous accusation very pretily. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. ii. 53 Lysander riddles very prettily. 1594 ― Rich. III, iii. i. 134 To mittigate the scorne he giues his Vnckle, He prettily and aptly taunts himselfe. 1667 Pepys Diary 23 Sept., I find how prettily this cunning Lord can be partial and dissemble it in this case. |
† b. To the point; expressively, aptly, neatly.
| 1584 Cogan Haven Health ii. (1636) 20 When hee [Socrates] was laughed to scorne of Alcibiades, for so doing, he answered him very prettily. 1605 Camden Rem., Epigr. 16 Which a Poet..expressed thus very briefly, and for that age pretily. 1625 Bacon Ess., Truth (Arb.) 501 Mountaigny saith prettily [etc.]. 1776 Gibbon Decl. & F. i. (1846) I. 12 It is prettily remarked by an ancient historian who had fought against them, that the effusion of blood was the only circumstance which distinguished a field of battle from a field of exercise. |
2. In a way that pleases the eye, ear, or æsthetic sense; beautifully but not grandly; ‘nicely’.
In nursery language children were told to eat, ask, behave prettily.
| 1423 Jas. I. Kingis Q. cliii, Lytill fischis..In a rout can swym So prattily, and dressit tham to sprede Thaire curall fynnis. 1463 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 8 Your daughter & myn..speaketh prattely & french, & hath near hand learned her sawter. a 1500 Flower & Leaf 89 Therin a goldfinch leping pretily Fro bough to bough. 1573–80 Baret Alv. P 661 Pretilie or pleasantly spoken, lepide aut facete dictum. 1653 Jer. Taylor Serm. for Year I. xx. 263 It looks prettily, but rewards the eye, as burning basons do, with intolerable circles of reflected fire. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 246 The Ax stroaks..on the Brick,..if they be streight and parallel one to another, look very prettily. 1754 Richardson Grandison I. xv. 92 So prettily loth to speak till spoken to. 1800 E. Hervey Mourtray Fam. II. 237, I mean to be so prettily behaved, as to become the darling of all the old, sober, stupid folks in the kingdom. 1852 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xxvi, Eva said, ‘Topsy, you arrange flowers very prettily’. 1857 Wood Com. Obj. Sea Shore 27 The body is prettily banded with multitudes of narrow dark markings. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. i. xvi, Her prettily-insolent eyebrows. 1872 Black Adv. Phaeton xxx, If you had only asked me prettily. 1883 ‘Annie Thomas’ Mod. Housewife 70 A prettily-worked holland blouse. |
b. Gently, softly, quietly. Now dial.
| c 1500 Melusine 9 The kinge hyed hym, & helped to sette her on horsbak moche prately [orig. doulcement]. 1533 More Apol. 93 b, Wyth that worde putte the tone pretely backe with his hande, and all to buffet the tother about the face. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 37 Prattily, softly. 1828 Craven Gloss. (ed. 2), Prattily, softly, delicately. ‘Gang prattily, er thou'lt wacken 't barn’. 1883 Almondb. & Huddersf. Gloss. s.v., A tap runs pratly when it lets out only a small stream in proportion to its size. |
† 3. Considerably, fairly, passably, moderately; = pretty adv. 1 (but also qualifying vbs.). Obs.
| 1533 More Answ. Poysoned Bk. Wks. 1037/2 Tyndal the captain of our Englyshe heretikes..was taken for full pretyly learned to. 1540 Coverdale Confut. Standish (1547) i iv, Ye can prately well graunt to a thing in one place, and denie the same in another. 1621 Lady M. Wroth Urania 201 Hauing now recouerd his strength pretily well. 1656 Sanderson Serm. Pref. (1689) 67 By their Education prettily well principled. 1823 Byron Juan xii. lxxv, I..had an ear that served me prettily. 1826 Cobbett Rur. Rides (1885) II. 7 The English money used to be spent prettily in that country. |