ˈpopsy
Also poppsie, popsie.
[app. a kind of nursery extension of pop n.2, with dim. ending: cf. Bet, Betsy, Nan, Nancy, Topsy.]
An endearing appellation for a girl; gen., a woman or girl; a casual female acquaintance, girl-friend. Also popsy-wopsy and attrib.
| 1862 Pippins & Pies 9 This I'm bound to say: that four sweeter lovelier popsies, never blessed [etc.]. 1887 E. J. Goodman Too Curious ix, Now go along like a good little popsy-wopsy, and don't cry to sit up. 1896 Idler Mar. 278/1 All right, my popsy-wopsy. 1931 C. Lithgow Simple Sailor xv. 194 Chase me, you fast women; ginger yourselves up, you slow 'uns!..Lord, but I like a good popsy! 1943 J. Hillier in Penguin New Writing XVI. 26 He ached too much for her to be satisfied in regarding her as a short-term poppsie, and yet ops. really permitted only a poppsie outlook. 1944 M. Laski Love on Supertax viii. 82 American colonels with their popsies. 1953 Chambers's Jrnl. June 325/1, I usually line up a local popsy. 1959 ‘J. Welcome’ Stop at Nothing ix. 135 The blonde popsie. 1968 Listener 10 Oct. 475/2 The Christine of Lucky Jim is a somewhat conventionally pretty high-class popsy. 1973 Wodehouse Bachelors Anonymous xii. 155 The door was opened by a rather personable popsy, who proved to be a girl who lives with the Fitch. 1978 J. Krantz Scruples iii. 75 Meanwhile, he had his popsies and he had his friend, Valentine, whose cozy, crazy stage set of a Paris attic had become a special refuge for him. |