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↑play-pretty n
A child’s plaything; a toy; also transf.
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contains mapscontains DARE survey quotes
- 1902 DN 2.241 sIL, Play-pritty. . . A toy; plaything.
- 1905 DN 3.90 nwAR, Play-pretty. . . Toy. ‘The children want some play-pretties for Christmas.’ Common.
- 1913 Kephart Highlanders 259 sAppalachians, The children have few toys other than rag dolls, broken bits of crockery for “play-purties,” and such “ridey-hosses” and so forth as they make for themselves.
- 1929 (1931) Faulkner Sound & Fury 36 MS, Ain’t you shamed of yourself. Taking a baby’s play pretty.
- 1931 Hannum Thursday April 150 wNC, She had the feeling that they were twirling her about joyously like a play-pretty on a red string.
- 1936 [see playment].
- 1944 PADS 2.59 MO, VA, NC, TN, Play-pretty. . . A toy, perhaps a home-made toy.
- 1946 PADS 6.23 ceNC (as of 1900–10), Play-pretty. . . A plaything. . . Common.
- 1956 Algren Walk on the Wild Side 75 wTX, I love you, baby. . . I’ll buy you play-pretties and posey-flowers.
- 1960 Williams Walk Egypt 4 GA, I’ll name her Toy, that’s what, ’cause she’s going to be my little play-pretty, ain’t you, sugarpie?
- 1965–70 DARE
- Qu. EE34, . . A child’s toy
- 94 Infs, chiefly Sth, S Midl, TX, OK, Play-pretty.
- 1969 (1970) Angelou Caged Bird 51 AR, You think your momma and poppa went to all the trouble to send you these nice play pretties to make you . . cry?
- 1978 Massey Bittersweet Country 207 Ozarks, The baby lost his play pretty.
- 1983 MJLF 9.1.51 ceKY (as of 1957), Play purty . . a plaything.
- 1986 Pederson LAGS Concordance Gulf Region, 262 infs, (A) play-pretty; 135 infs, Play-pretties.