hammyadj.
/ˈhami/, U.S. /ˈhæmi/ 1. Characterized by the presence of ham. Also, resembling ham.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > pork > [adjective] > containing or resembling ham
hammy1861
1861 A. Wynter Our Social Bees 103 The eating-house connoisseur..ordered a slice of beef cut with a hammy knife.
1877 E. S. Dallas Kettner's Bk. of Table 413 It was a grand hit this—the introduction of the hammy taste.
2. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a ham actor or ham acting. slang.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > acting > [adjective] > over-acting
hammy1929
ham1935
hamming1946
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > actor > [adjective] > type of actor by performance
tear-cat1606
Roscian1607
buffo1789
stickish1810
Protean1871
glimmery1892
hammy1929
ham1935
pixilated1959
1929 T. Wolfe Look homeward, Angel (1930) xxvii. 367 With fat hammy sonority he welcomed them.
1933 D. Stanley & J. P. Maxfield Voice ii. iii. 80 In particular, the prolongation of the vowel sounds associated with the consonants m, n and l is cheap and ‘hammy’.
1946 Penguin New Writing 28 182 Toni..put on a hammy deep-in-thought act.
1965 G. McInnes Road to Gundagai vi. 106 His part..was..hammy enough, but Carson managed to ham it up a good deal further.
1973 ‘D. Jordan’ Nile Green xxxv. 171 Condon raised an eyebrow in a hammy attempt to be supercilious.
Derivatives
Hence (sense 2).
ˈhammily adv.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > acting > [adverb] > over-acting
hammily1942
1942 Time 27 Apr. 61 The talented author..has told one of the most hackneyed of all sentimental yarns, and told it hammily.
1958 Spectator 7 Feb. 175/2 Rather hammily acted but extremely well sung.
1961 John o' London's 14 Sept. 307/1 The plot is hackneyed to the point of imbecility, the slapstick hammily archaic.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1861