slightly


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age before beauty

A humorous way to tell someone to go ahead of one, meant as a playful insult. Chuck held the door open for Tim, motioned for him to go ahead, and said, "Age before beauty."
See also: age, beauty, before

rattled

1. Shocked, bewildered, flustered, or unnerved. The whole incident left me feeling pretty rattled. I know that Tom was rattled for a while after the accident.
2. slang Intoxicated from alcohol. She looked a little rattled when she was leaving, but she wasn't falling over herself or anything. I'll come out with you for a pint or two, but I don't want to get too rattled.
See also: rattle

age before beauty

a jocular and slightly rude way of encouraging someone to go ahead of oneself; a comical, teasing, and slightly grudging way of indicating that someone else should or can go first. "No, no. Please, you take the next available seat," smiled Tom. "Age before beauty, you know."
See also: age, beauty, before

slightly rattled

 
1. Inf. upset; confused. Tom was slightly rattled by the policeman at the door. I'm slightly rattled. I'll get over it.
2. Inf. tipsy; intoxicated. He's only slightly rattled. He'll recover by morning. she can be really drunk and still seem only slightly rattled.
See also: rattle, slightly

rattled

1. mod. confused; bewildered. He tends to get a little rattled at minor things.
2. mod. tipsy; alcohol intoxicated. After an hour of drinking, Bill was more than a little rattled.
See also: rattle

slightly rattled

1. mod. upset; confused. (see also rattled.) Tom was slightly rattled by the trouble at the door.
2. mod. tipsy; alcohol intoxicated. She can be stone blind and still seem only slightly rattled.
See also: rattle, slightly

age before beauty

Defer to the older person. This phrase is traditionally used when inviting another individual to pass through a doorway before one. Eric Partridge described it as a mock courtesy uttered by a young woman to an older man. Currently it is used only ironically or sarcastically. According to an old story, it was said rather snidely by Clare Boothe Luce when ushering Dorothy Parker through a doorway, and Parker replied, “Pearls before swine.” A related cliché is after you, Alphonse—no, after you, Gaston, repeated a number of times (in Britain, after you, Claude—no, after you, Cecil). The American version is based on a comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper, Alphonse and Gaston, which was popular in the early 1900s, and pokes fun at exaggerated politeness.
See also: age, beauty, before
References in classic literature ?
They knew each other so slightly that the beginning of intimacy, which Katharine seemed to initiate by talking about herself, had something solemn in it, and they were silent, as if to decide whether to proceed or not.
When Katharine remained silent Mary was slightly embarrassed.
But she submitted so far as to stand perfectly still, her eyes upon the opposite wall, and her lips very nearly closed, though the desire to laugh stirred them slightly.
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But as yet they will hardly have a distinct name, and from being only slightly valued, their history will be disregarded.
As soon, however, as gardeners picked out individual plants with slightly larger, earlier, or better fruit, and raised seedlings from them, and again picked out the best seedlings and bred from them, then, there appeared (aided by some crossing with distinct species) those many admirable varieties of the strawberry which have been raised during the last thirty or forty years.
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Her right hand skimmed slightly the end of the table, and when she had passed on towards the sofa the carving knife had vanished without the slightest sound from the side of the dish.
Mr Verloc, the Secret Agent, turning slightly on his side with the force of the blow, expired without stirring a limb, in the muttered sound of the word "Don't" by way of protest.
A round hat disclosed in the middle of the floor by the moving of the table rocked slightly on its crown in the wind of her flight.
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The latest set of figures on farming in Scotland shows increases in cereals, potatoes and sheep, but cattle numbers were down slightly.
United Kingdom : Crop areas and sheep numbers increase in latest farm census
The local stock barometer slightly gained yesterday, tracking a rebound across most regional markets.
Stock index posts slight gain
Nour introduced slightly semi-continuous functions during the year 1995.
Slightly gpr--continuous functions
The non-pivot foot takes a very small rocker step back or slightly to the side.
The linear approach to successful pitching
9% of all transactions, slightly higher than 16% in the previous quarter.
Retail sector ranks last as investment category
Coconut milk and ginger are brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer until slightly reduced.
One-pot wonders
Day camps had slightly less financial support for campers ($2,500-$4,999) compared to resident camps' support ($5,000-$9,999).
What's happening with camp enrollment?
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