neatnessn.

1548 W. Patten Exped. Scotl. Pref. sig. a^v For the neatnes of making and fynenes of sense.

1576 A. Fleming in tr. J. Caius Eng. Dogges To Rdr. sig. Aiii^v The elegantnes and neatnesse of his Latine phrase.

1647 J. Howell New Vol. of Lett. 238 I find..such a gallantry and neatnesse in your lines, that you may give the law of lettering to all the world.

1685 C. Cotton tr. M. de Montaigne Ess. (1711) I. xxxix. 354 Neatness of stile is no manly Ornament.

1701 tr. J. Le Clerc Lives Primitive Fathers 4 His Style,..doth not much relish the Neatness and Elegancy of the Athenian Writers.

1782 J. Warton Ess. on Pope (new ed.) II. xi. 314 Gay..wrote with neatness, and terseness.

1795 L. Murray Eng. Gram. 130 There is a peculiar neatness in a sentence beginning with the conjunctive form of a verb.

1859 A. Helps Friends in Council New Ser. II. xii. 311 Neither does neatness of expression affect us much.

1874 A. Trollope Phineas Redux I. xxxiii. 275 There was much neatness and some acuteness in Mr Daubeny's satire.

1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 574/1 The art of composing them [sc. epigrams] seems to have been assiduously cultivated, as might naturally be expected from the court life of the poets, and their constant endeavours after terseness and neatness of expression.

1989 B. Vickers Returning to Shakespeare 43 Neatness in verbal formulations commonly arouses suspicion.

1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde iii. ix. f. 138^v It was so named for the neatenesse and bewtifulnes therof.

1593 J. Norden Speculum Brit.: Cornwall (1728) 63 Ther is not a towne..more comendable for neatnes of buyldinges.

1638 F. Junius Painting of Ancients 120 There is a wonderfull great difference between pure neatnesse and curious affectation.

1682 J. Norris tr. Hierocles Golden Verses 97 Too much Neatness will slide into Luxury and softness.

1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 359 I was much pleas'd with the Neatness of the good Woman.

1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth VII. 171 There is much geometrical neatness in the disposal of the serpent's scales.

1850 H. Miller Scenes & Legends N. Scotl. (ed. 2) xx. 295 She retained a few of the mechanical neatnesses of her earlier years.

1867 A. Duncan Mem. W. Duncan 28 It was quite a model in respect of order and neatness and freeness from weeds.

1908 ‘G. A. Birmingham’ Spanish Gold 12 They preferred comfort to neatness.

1996 R. Mistry Fine Balance (1997) v. 200 Everywhere there was evidence of her struggle to stay ahead of squalor, to mitigate with neatness and order the shabbiness of poverty.

a1627 W. Rowley & T. Middleton Wit at Severall Weapons iv. i, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) 85 To the best of Neeces. Why that title may be mine, And more then her's: Sure I much wrong the neatnesse of his art; 'Tis certaine sent to me.

1819 W. Cobbett Year's Resid. U.S.A. ii. ix. 226 They mow four acres of oats, wheat, rye, or barley in a day, and, with a cradle, lay it so smooth in the swarths, that it is tied up in sheaves with the greatest neatness and ease.

1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm I. 224 He handles the small cutting-axe and switching-knife with the force and neatness with which a dragon wields his sabre.

1861 C. Dickens Great Expectations II. xviii. 295 I saw his hand appear on the other side of Miss Skiffins. Instantly, Miss Skiffins stopped it with the neatness of a placid boxer.

1863 A. P. Stanley Lect. Jewish Church I. xvi. 365 The neatness with which the Philistine watchmen are outdone.

1907 Sat. Rev. 30 Mar. 390/1 Playing tip-cat..requires a good deal of neatness and quickness to tip the cat smartly.

1989 Newsday (Nexis) 24 Nov. (Sports section) 188 Carnesecca was more than impressed... ‘Such quickness and neatness. That's the way basketball should be played.’