(Also 6 warkynday, 6–7 workenday.) [f. WORKING vbl. sb. + DAY sb.1]
1. A work-day.
1478. Paston Lett., III. 237. A hose clothe, one for the halydays … and a nothyr for the workyng days.
1538. in R. G. Marsden, Sel. Pleas Crt. Admiralty (1894), I. 62. The said John Halmdry shalbe dyscharged and his shyp of the sayd salt … within vj lawfull workyng dayes.
1549. W. Thomas, Hist. Italie, 79. Euerie holidaie, and many times the workendaies, the same sitteth from diner till nyght.
1561. Bp. J. Parkhurst, Injunct., A ij b. That they baptize not children on the wourking daies.
1626. in Cheque-bk. Chapel Royal (Camden), 71. That a competent number of the gentlemen be appointed to attend the service uppon the workinge dayes throughout the yeare.
1671–2. in C. Worthy, Devon. Wills (1896), 27. My blew coat which I did weare worken dayes.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 340. They quite forgot the days, and knew not a Sunday from a working-day any longer.
1832. Sir F. Palgrave, Rise & Progr. Eng. Commw., II. p. clii. The first open or working day after the two great weekly festivals of Sun-day and Moon-day.
1839. Thackeray, Fatal Boots, Feb. Then comes dismal February, and the working days with it,… after the Christmas and the New Year’s heyday and merry-making are over.
1911. Onions, Shaks. Gloss., Pref. p. vi. The present book, the compilation of which has occupied the full working days of a year and a half.
b. attrib. or as adj. (= WORKADAY B.), as working-day clothes, dress, face, world.
1533. in Weaver, Wells Wills (1890), 26. A roond warkynday gownd.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 25. Our shepheard must put on his working day face, and frame nought but dolefull Madrigalls.
1594. Greene & Lodge, Looking Gl. (1598), C 4. If you heard her working-day words,… they be ratlers like thunder.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., I. iii. 12. Oh how full of briers is this working day world.
1683. in Bedfordshire N. & Q. (1889), II. 237. All my working-day clothes of wollen or stuffe.
1835. L. E. Landon, Misc. Poet. Wks., 2. The working-day portion of life’s wondrous whole.
1840. Dickens, Old Cur. Shop, xliv. The working-day faces come nearer to the truth.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., lvi. The working-day world.
1873. J. H. Newman, Serm. Var. Occas. (1881), xiv. 275. The working-day dress.
2. The portion of a day devoted to work or allotted to labor as a day’s work.
1875. J. Macdonell in Fortn. Rev., March, 389. The capitalist will gain his end in another way. Leaving the length of the working day unchanged, he will endeavour to shorten the period during which the workman toils for himself, and to extend the period during which he works for his master.
1890. J. E. C. Munro, in Rep. Brit. Assoc., 472. The more rational proposals to establish a short working day.
