Ill-natured, vicious. The word was long used in the English sense also; see the bracketed examples.
1809. He was one of the most positive, restless, ugly little men that ever put himself in a passion about nothing.—W. Irving, ‘A History of New-York,’ i. 204 (1812).
[1809. The witches were all burnt, banished, or panic-struck, and in a little while there was not an ugly old woman to be found throughout New England—which is doubtless one reason why all the young women there are handsome.—Id., ii. 51.]
1818. See BOSS.
1827. See PRETTY.
[1828. It is well enough to be comely, and not particularly ugly.—T. Flint, ‘Arthur Clenning,’ ii. 137.]
1830. Ugliness applies to a man’s actions, and handsomeness to his looks. [Given as a Yankeeism.]—Mass. Spy, July 28: from the N.Y. Constellation.
1833. See LIKELY.
1833. That’s right down ugly o’ you.—John Neal, ‘The Down-Easters,’ i. 107; also p. 135. But on p. 179 “the ugliest” is the plainest in appearance.
1834. Her temper is not at all ugly. I have never known her cross more than a week at a time.—Robert C. Sands, ‘Writings,’ ii. 134 (N.Y.).
1838. [Captain Drew was a small and somewhat deformed man, and one who, in the world’s cant, would be called ugly.—Yale Lit. Mag., iii. 106 (Jan.).]
1838. [If one has fifty or an hundred thousand dollars to recommend her, this is sufficient to hide an ugly face or an untutored mind.—Id., iii. 140 (Feb.).]
1842. He’s got some grit, but he a’n’t ugly.—Mrs. Kirkland, ‘Forest Life,’ i. 135.
1843. A large woman, with an ugly expression of countenance.—Cornelius Mathews, ‘Writings,’ p. 82.
1843. It would be a very painful thing—a very painful thing, indeed, Ishmael, to have the worthy old gentleman go mad, out of mere ugliness and spite—because he can’t find a boy that he thinks he’s the father of.—Id., p. 207.
1844. This was really done for conscience’ sake—not for the sake of being ugly, (we use the word in the Yankee sense) or of acting the petty tyrant.—‘Lowell Offering,’ iv. 188.
1844. See VARMINT.
1848. The liquor by this time had commenced to operate upon his irritability, and I soon discovered him to be a pugnacious customer. I had seen ugly little men before, however.—Durivage and Burnham, ‘Stray Subjects,’ p. 135.
[1848. I ’ll be hanged if you are not the ugliest man I ’ve seen to-day!—Knick. Mag., xxxii. 126 (Aug.).]
[1852. Connoisseurs said she was even homelier than the deacon. At any rate she was very ugly.—‘Lowell Offering,’ xvii. 346.]
1853. At last sez I, ‘Jidge! did you ever hev your portrait tuck?’ ‘No!’ sez he, ugly as you please, ‘nor never mean to, nuther.’ ‘Dew tell!’ sez I.—Knick. Mag., xlii. 222 (Sept.).
1855. Squire Stebbins owned one [a bull] that came from the same cow, and he turned out so dreadful ugly that he had to be killed for beef.—Putnam’s Mag., v. 303/2 (March) (de Vere).
1856. Tom’s ugliness is nothing but because he is drunk.—H. B. Stowe, ‘Dred,’ ch. xvii.
1856. Dis yer liquor makes folks so ugly!—Id., ch. 39.
1856. There was something in the old devil which woke up all the ugly in a man.—Knick. Mag., xlviii. 615 (Dec.).
[1857. He was a remarkably ugly boy, the expression of whose countenance could only be compared to that of a bilious codfish attempting to swallow a cannon ball.—T. B. Gunn, ‘New York Boarding-houses,’ p. 51.]
1857. ‘My dear Sir,’ said I, ‘this is going to be an ugly night to be out in.’—Knick. Mag., l. 435 (Nov.).
1858. I think I must have looked as ‘ugly’ as I felt; for I saw a most startled and surprised expression on the face of a fair young girl, whose eye I caught as I went scowling and grumbling along.—Id., lii. 419 (Oct.).
[1863. As hard looking creatures as the mountains could produce, their ugliness only inferior to their ignorance.—O. J. Victor, ‘The History … of the Southern Rebellion,’ ii. 464.]
1864. I suppose there must be an “ugly streak” in you somewhere, but you did not show it when you were a child.—J. G. Holland, ‘Letters to the Joneses,’ p. 91.
