wallowish, a. Now dial.
(ˈwɒləʊɪʃ)
Also 6 walowyshe, -(e)ish, 7 wallouish. See also walsh a.
[f. wallow a. + -ish.]
Insipid, tasteless, flat; also, ill-tasting, nauseous, esp. through being over-sweet.
| 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Pref. to King a vj, Honey is waloweishe and ouercasteth the stomake. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia ii. xvi. (Sommer) 172 b, Like the sicke man, to whom the Phisition sweares, the ill-tasting wallowish medicine he profers, is of a good taste. 1598 Florio, Disapito, vnsauorie, tasting of nothing, wallowish. 1601 Holland Pliny xxiv. i. II. 176 Salt giveth a good rellish to any meat that is over sweet, and tempereth those that have a lushious and wallowish tast. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes 80 This fruit [the water-melon] is..waterish, and wallowish. 1686 W. Harris tr. Lemery's Course Chym. (ed. 3) 557 The wallowish sweetness of Muste. 1691 Ray N.C. Words 78 In the South we say wallouish, meaning somewhat nauseous. 1886 [see wallow a.]. |
b. transf. and fig.
| 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Jas. iv. 7–17 Therfore who so euer backbiteth his neighbour, he either condemneth the lawe,..or backbiteth it as though it were to muche myngle mangled, and walowyshe, the office wherof the backbytour taketh vpon hym. 1603 Florio Montaigne i. xlii. 142 He is a foole, his taste is wallowish and distracted. Ibid. iii. x. 610 My maners are mustie, rather wallowish then sharpe. 1609 G. Benson Serm. 7 May 13 Though those sixe petitions deliuered by our hearts and tongues (by reason of the mixture of our vainty) bee full of water, weake, wallowish. |
c. Comb.: † wallowish-sweet a., so sweet as to cloy, sickly.
| 1576 Turberv. Venerie lxviii. 189 Few hounds will eate of a Foxes fleshe, but a Badgerdes is wallowish sweet & rammish. 1577 Eden Hist. Trav. W. & E. Indies 328 b, Theyr milk is walowish sweete. |
Hence ˈwallowishly adv., ˈwallowishness.
| 1603 Florio Montaigne ii. xii. 349 The distasted impute wallowishnesse vnto Wine. Ibid. iii. xii. 631 There are some beauties,..pleasing-sweete and yet wallowishly tastelesse. 1611 Cotgr., Affadissement, wallowishnesse, vnsauorinesse, tastlesnesse. |