trollopyadj.
/ˈtrɒləpi/, U.S. /ˈtrɑləpi/, Scottish English /ˈtrɔləpɪ/ 1. Of clothing, esp. a skirt or dress: that hangs loosely or untidily; trailing. Now rare (Scottish regional in later use).
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1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VII. lxxviii. 257 Their gowns, made to cover straddling hoops, hanging trolloppy, and tangling about their heels.
1890 Leeds Mercury Weekly Suppl. 25 Jan. 8/4 The frock has no shape to speak of, but the smocking gives it form, and in no instance is such a garment bunchy or trollopy.
1947 Scotsman 7 Oct. 4/5 Leave the long trollopy skirts to those who have no coupons to cramp their style.
2004 Sc. National Dict. New Suppl. in Dict. Scots Lang. (Electronic text) at Trollop [Dunbartonshire] That's a right trollopie coat ye're wearin.
2. Chiefly of a woman: negligent or lazy with regard to personal appearance or household cleanliness; slovenly, untidy, dowdy. Also in trollopy-looking adj. Now rare (Scottish regional in later use).
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the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > dirtiness > dirty person > [adjective]
sluttishc1405
sluttya1425
slut?a1513
drabbish1566
drabby1612
sordid1613
slithy1622
sleathy1652
slattering1673
slatternly1677
slattern1683
trapish1703
slammerkin1742
trolloping1770
unheppen1790
trollopy1800
slatternish1833
haveless1868
1800 E. Hamilton Mem. Mod. Philosphers III. i. 36 I would not be seen walking with such a trollopy quiz for the vorld.
1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park III. vii. 143 A trollopy-looking maid-servant..stept forward.
1884 North-eastern Daily Gaz. (Middlesbrough) 29 Dec. Trollopy women who instead of neglecting their homes for gossip and drink, now neglect them to play tambourines.
1992 in M. Bennett Sc. Customs 261 I have never seen such trollopy lassies! Long, black, wide coats that hae neither shape nor form.
2002 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 26 Aug. 13 Post-war wearers of the kilt..have them..far too long... One only needs to look..at today's wedding photographs to see how trollopy some kilt-wearers look.
3. Chiefly derogatory. Of a woman: sexually promiscuous or provocative; tarty; (also) reminiscent or characteristic of a trollop (trollop n. 1a).
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1932 Bluefield (W. Va.) Daily Tel. 4 June 6/5 Mae West..wrote, acted, fought and served time for her trollopy types.
1945 J. A. Thompson tr. H. Laxness Independent People (1946) 94 He turned his back on his foes to go and lie with a trollopy slut of a queen.
1971 Daily Universe (Brigham Young Univ.) 24 Feb. 4/4 Saint Laurent insisted his tightly swathed hips and cutout bodices were not trollopy at all.
2001 J. Mansel Millie's Fling (2009) 264 Behaving like a great big trollopy tart..and leaping into bed with some bloke.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2020; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1748