tawdry

Where does the word "tawdry" come from? It comes from Old English Æþelþryþ, passing through Middle English before entering English (1670s).

Tawdry’s story begins in Old English: Æþelþryþ meant “a saint's name.” The princess-abbess who founded Ely Abbey in 673; Bede says she died of a neck tumour she took as punishment for wearing necklaces in her youth. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as Seynt Audrey. Norman-era Audrey replaced the Old English name; at Ely's St Audrey's fair, silk neck-laces called 'St Audrey's lace' were sold in her memory. It reached English by 1670s as tawdry. 'tawdry lace' ran together from 'St Audrey', and the cheap fair-goods gave the word its sense of showy but worthless. Today, tawdry means showy but cheap and of poor quality.

1. Stage 1 · Old English · 673 Æþelþryþ "a saint's name", the princess-abbess who founded Ely Abbey in 673; Bede says she died of a neck tumour she took as punishment for wearing necklaces in her youth.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1400s Seynt Audrey "St Audrey", Norman-era Audrey replaced the Old English name; at Ely's St Audrey's fair, silk neck-laces called 'St Audrey's lace' were sold in her memory.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1670s tawdry "cheap and showy", 'tawdry lace' ran together from 'St Audrey', and the cheap fair-goods gave the word its sense of showy but worthless.