Ugly

subs. (colloquial).—1.  An ugly person: also in contemptuous address, ‘Hallo, UGLY!’ MR. UGLY, etc.

  1755.  WALPOLE, Letter to Richard Bentley, 8 Feb., in Letters, II. 422. There were all the beauties, and all the diamonds, and not a few of the UGLIES of London.

  2.  (old).—A bonnet shade: worn by women as an extra protection from the sun: middle 19th century.

  1851.  THACKERAY, The Kickleburys on the Rhine. She and her sisters wore a couple of those blue silk over-bonnets, which have lately become the fashion…. ‘We call those hoods UGLIES!’

  3.  (common).—In pl. = delirium tremens; the HORRORS (q.v.).

  4.  (provincial).—A beating, a round of abuse (HALLIWELL).

  Adj. (colloquial).—Generic for disquiet or unpleasantness: e.g., an UGLY (= threatening) TONE; an UGLY (= dangerous) WOUND; an UGLY (= unpleasant) RUMOUR; an UGLY (= wrong) TURN; UGLY (= stormy) WEATHER; an UGLY (= awkward or malicious) CUSTOMER, OPPONENT; a source of danger, etc.; an UGLY (= troublesome) COUGH; an UGLY (= ill-natured) TEMPER; an UGLY (= quarrelsome) ATTITUDE. Hence TO COME THE UGLY = to threaten; TO CUT UP (or LOOK) UGLY = to show anger or resentment; TO CALL BY UGLY NAMES = to revile or abuse. Also UGLINESS (American) = ill-nature, crossness, perversity.

  c. 1360.  Alliterative Poems [E.E.T.S.], 64.

  1809.  G. W. KENDALL, Narrative of the Texan Santa Fé Expedition, I. 133. The questions of the spies were answered in a sullen, swaggering manner, so much so that Captain Caldwell … at once remarked to his men, in a low tone and in English, that “these fellows LOOKED UGLY and fighty, and that they must all keep an eye upon their rifles, and be ready to give them a volley should he make a signal.”

  1854.  MARIA S. CUMMINS, The Lamplighter, xvi. I’ll not answer her back when she’s UGLY to me.

  c. 1865.  O. W. HOLMES, At the Pantomime [Title].

  1867.  J. W. DE FOREST, Port Hudson, in Harper’s Magazine, xxxv. 341. It was as UGLY a little promenade as I ever undertook.

  1871.  H. B. STOWE, Oldtown Fireside Stories, 196. He was jest the crossest, UGLIEST critter that ever ye see, and he was UGLY jest for the sake o’ UGLINESS.

  1878.  R. L. STEVENSON, Will o’ the Mill. An UGLY THRILL spread from the spot he touched.

  1887.  The Field, 24 Sept. There is an UGLY RUMOUR afloat that certain bookmakers who had laid heavily are directly responsible for Monday’s outbreak.

  18[?].  J. BROWN, Rab and His Friends, 6. He must have been a hard hitter if he boxed as he preached—what ‘The Fancy’ would call an UGLY CUSTOMER.

  See PLUG-UGLY.