tiddly suit

English

Alternative forms

tiddley suit

Etymology

Probably connected to tidy. Granville (1950) claims that it is "from tidy, influenced by titivate",^[1] while Jolly (2018) states that it "appears merely to be a whimsical corruption of tidily".^[2]

Noun

tiddly suit (plural tiddly suits)

(nautical) A sailor's best uniform, often tailored and not strictly to regulation.

References

^ Wilfred Granville (1950) Sea Slang of the Twentieth Century, Philosophical Library
^ Rick Jolly (2018) Jackspeak: A Guide to British Naval Slang & Usage, Bloomsbury

[1] Wilfred Granville (1950) Sea Slang of the Twentieth Century, Philosophical Library

[2] Rick Jolly (2018) Jackspeak: A Guide to British Naval Slang & Usage, Bloomsbury

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