bespoke, ppl. a.
(bɪˈspəʊk)
[See bespeak v.]
= bespoken ppl. a. 2; spec. of goods; ordered to be made, as distinguished from ready-made; also said of a tradesman who makes goods to order. Also n., a bespoke article.
| 1755 Mrs. C. Charke Life 203 At length the bespoke Play was to be enacted. 1866 Chambers's Encycl. VIII. 691/1 The shoemaking trade..is divided into two departments—the bespoke and the ready-made or sale business. 1884 Birmingh. Daily Post 24 Jan. 3/3 Boot Trade.—Wanted..Saleswoman, accustomed to Bespoke Trade. 1907 W. De Morgan Alice-for-Short xlvii, His boots may have been ‘bespokes’ for anybody, except himself. 1908 Daily Chron. 13 June 4/7 A ‘bespoke tailor’. 1928 Punch 30 May p. xv (Advt.), Lotus Bespoke Model Shoes. 1965 Ibid. 29 Sept. 478/1 A ‘Special Collection’ which is, in harsh reality, a collection of bargain bespokes. 1966 Economist 16 July 239/2 Although there is a lot of bespoke work in this [steel] plant, management would prefer some element of payment by results. |