a. [UN-1 7.]
† 1. Having no savor; not attractive to the taste; tasteless, insipid. Obs.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 262. Loke nu hwo grucche … of mistrum, oðer leane mel of unsauure metes, of poure pitaunce?
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 425. Fresshe flesshe other fisshe whan it salt failleth, It is vnsauory.
c. 1400. Love, Bonavent. Mirr. (1908), 103. Til thoruȝ his mercy … the vnsauery water and colde of aduersitie … be torned in to wyne and conforte.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., v., in Ashm. (1652), 74. Also is Weerish tast called Unsavoury.
1576. Newton, Lemnie’s Complex., I. 87. Choler is bitter:… Phlegme, vnsavery as water.
1601. Bp. W. Barlow, Defence, 89. The white of an egge, without salt, is flash, and vnsavery, sayth Job.
1610. Bp. Carleton, Jurisd., 261. The Pope would hereby prooue vnsauery salt good for nothing but to be troden vnderfoot of men.
1632. Gaule, Magastrom., 284. Crying out…, tread me under feet, as unsavory salt.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 125. Hard fare! but such as boyish appetite Disdains not; nor the palate, undeprav’d By culinary arts, unsav’ry deems.
transf. 13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 822. Þis vn-sauere hyne Louez no salt in her sauce.
1548. Udall, Erasm. Par. Luke, xix. 141 b. That same stemme of the Judaicall figtree brought foorth … vnsauourie, & vnripe people.
1585. Greene, Planetomachia, F 4 b. Phlegme … doulce, vnsauory & natural.
b. fig.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xvi. 89. If such maner of arguyng … schulde be sett in sermonyng, the sermon schulde be ful vnsauory.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, II. viii. 48. Hov dry & hov harde þou art wiþoute ihesu! hov unsauory, hov veyne, if þou coueite eny þinge wiþoute ihesu!
1534. More, Treat. Passion, Wks. 1291/1. The context of the story shuld … seme very farre vnsauery, by reason of the often interposicion of the iniciall letters.
1540. Morysine, Vives’ Introd. Wysd., G ij. Bodely workes be unsavery, excepte they have sauce from the hart.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1188. Some … will say, that the oracles … be none of his [sc. Apollo’s], because they are but rudely made and unsavery.
1634. Milton, Comus, 742. The good thereof Consists in mutual and partak’n bliss, Unsavoury in th’ injoyment of it self.
† c. Bot. (See quots.) Obs.
1548. Turner, Names Herbes (E.D.S.), 77. Symphytum petreum…; this herbe, may be called in english vnsauery Margerum.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. 948. Abrotanum Inodorum, Vnsauorie Sothernwood,… growes flat vpon the ground with broade leaues.
1660. Catal. Plant. Cantab. Index, 6. Unsavoury field Cranes-bill, cicutæ folio inodorum.
1728. Bradley, Dict. Bot., Thymum Inodorum, Unsavory Thyme.
2. a. Unpleasant or disagreeable to the taste.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 46. For scheep ben goode for to ete, and getis fleish is unsavery.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. ii. 58. These fowle buskes and wylde myght nought fructyfyen no … lusty fruyte, but bytter and vnsauoury.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 222. The flesshe of this beaste is fylthy and vnsauery.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. 86 b. The geathered Olyue, if it lye to long in heapes, putrifieth by reason of heate, and makes vnsauery oyle.
1617. Woodall, Surg. Mate (1639), 356. An approoved good Medicine, and not much unsavovry to bee taken.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 401. Unsavourie food perhaps To spiritual Natures.
1812. J. Henry, Camp. agst. Quebec, 97. Towards March they become unsavoury, but in no way tainted.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. iii. 42. As unsavory a dose of flax-seed and quinine as was ever honored by the name of beer.
b. Disagreeable or offensive to the sense of smell, or to refined feelings.
1539. Elyot, Cast. Helthe, 55. These excrementes be none other, but matter superfluouse and vnsauery.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, III. (Arb.), 78. Thee victals … They do leaue haulf mangled with sent vnsauerye bepoudred.
1591. Unton, Corr. (Roxb.), 199. In his sicknes none could endure to be with him, he was so unsavorie.
c. 1656. Bp. Hall, Rem. Wks. (1660), 108. Those … which scent an unsavory breath turne their heads aside.
1684. Contempl. St. Man, II. vi. (1699), 196. Unsavoury Smells, so proper unto Prisons.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 598. Unsavoury stench of oil.
1784. Cowper, Task, IV. 196. The smoke of lamps, The pent-up breath of an unsav’ry throng.
1825. Waterton, Wand. S. Amer., II. 103. An unsavoury little beast, called bug.
fig. 1547. J. Harrison, Exhort. Scottes, 213. I will stirre that vnsauery sinke of treson and trecherie.
Prov. 1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 30. Great bost and small roste, Maketh vnsauery mouthes.
3. Unpleasant, disagreeable, distasteful.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 177. Þei sclaundren goddis lawe … & maken it vnsawory to worldly men.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 510. Thurgh which bitternesse euery good dede of his neighebor semeth to hym bitter and vnsauory.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxiii. 80. This is an vnsavery question; this rebavde we saw never before.
c. 1456. Pecock, Bk. of Faith (1909), 116. Oold custom … wole make that these bokis at first schulen be unsavery.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 17. To keepe no more but needfullie, and count excesse vnsauerie.
1591. Savile, Tacitus, Hist., III. xxvi. 130. All that tended to safety was vnsauory.
1637. Gillespie, Eng. Pop. Cerem., IV. viii. 37. This … will be very unsavory language, to many Arminianized Conformitans.
1657. Sparrow, Bk. Com. Prayer, 256. Suppose some Preachers should be so careful, as not to vent any thing unsavoury.
1845. G. P. R. James, Arrah Neil, v. You came hither upon an unsavoury errand.
† b. Ill-natured. Obs.–1
1568. T. Howell, Arb. Amitie (1879), 45. Then pleasant speech suppresse, and faine a sowre unsauerie looke.
4. Objectionable on moral grounds; having an unpleasant or disagreeable character or association.
a. Of persons.
1401. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 52. For Sathanas by ȝour sawes is sent into soulis, that ben ful unsavery.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, I. xxiv. 33. O þou most wrecchid and unsauory synner, what shalt þou answere god?
1552. Huloet, Vnsauery queane, blittea meretrix.
1605. Camden, Rem., 219. That they be the salt of the earth, and if the salt once appall, the world must needes waxe vnsauerie.
1849. G. P. R. James, Woodman, vi. They are very unsavoury fellows.
b. Of things, language, etc.
1536. Elyot, in Croft E.’s Gov. (1883), I. p. cxxvi. Unsavery gloses and commentes.
1550. Bale, Eng. Votaries, II. iii. Professinge the vnsauery vse of Sarum.
1586. W. Webbe, Eng. Poetrie (Arb.), 54. The motion of some vnsauery loue, such as in the sixt Eglogue he seemeth to deale withall.
1615. Day, Festivals, Ep. Ded. The Unsavorie Pamphlets … that have passed the Presse as well as Sermons.
1657. Trapp, Comm. Ezra vi. 11. Those … who turne it into a … pest-house of noysome lusts by their unsavoury speeches.
1723. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), III. 26. I heard some account of his unsavoury carriage when a student…, and that he was stopped in his licentiatory trials for some immorality.
1882. Athenæum, 23 Dec., 842/3. A number of grim anecdotes and unsavoury details.
1894. Sir E. Sullivan, Woman, 44. There are many unsavoury laws in our code.
