prissy 的詞源

"過於精確，過於挑剔"，1895年，可能是美國南方方言，首次見於喬爾·錢德勒·哈里斯的作品，可能是 precise（詳見）的變體，或者是 prim 和 sissy 的合併 [OED]。相關詞彙： Prissily； prissiness。

["]Then Mrs Blue Hen rumpled up her feathers and got mad with herself, and went to setting. I reckon that's what you call it. I've heard some call it 'setting' and others 'sitting.' Once, when I was courting, I spoke of a sitting hen, but the young lady said I was too prissy for anything."

"What is prissy?" asked Sweetest Susan.

Mr. Rabbit shut his eyes and scratched his ear. Then he shook his head slowly.

"It's nothing but a girl's word," remarked Mrs. Meadows by way of explanation. "It means that somebody's trying hard to show off."

"I reckon that's so," said Mr. Rabbit, opening his eyes. He appeared to be much relieved.

[Joel Chandler Harris, "Mr. Rabbit at Home"]

["]然後藍母雞抖了抖羽毛，生自己的氣，開始孵蛋。我想那就是你們所說的“setting”。我聽過有人稱之爲“setting”，也有人稱之爲“sitting”。有一次，我在求愛時，說了一隻坐着的母雞，但那位年輕女士說我太過挑剔了。"

"什麼是 prissy？" Sweetest Susan 問道。

兔先生閉上眼睛，撓了撓耳朵。然後他緩慢地搖了搖頭。

"這只是女孩的說法，"梅多斯夫人解釋道。"它意味着有人在努力炫耀自己。"

"我想是這樣，"兔先生睜開眼睛說。他似乎鬆了一口氣。

[喬爾·錢德勒·哈里斯，《兔先生在家》]