pretty

[prit-ee] /ˈprɪt i/
adjective, prettier, prettiest.
1.
pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness:
a pretty face.
2.
(of things, places, etc.) pleasing to the eye, especially without grandeur.
3.
pleasing to the ear:
a pretty tune.
4.
pleasing to the mind or aesthetic taste:
He writes pretty little stories.
5.
(often used ironically) fine; grand:
This is a pretty mess!
6.
Informal. considerable; fairly great:
This accident will cost him a pretty sum.
7.
Archaic or Scot. brave; hardy.
noun, plural pretties.
8.
Usually, pretties. pretty ornaments, clothes, etc.
9.
a pretty person:
Sit down, my pretty.
adverb
10.
fairly or moderately:
Her work was pretty good.
11.
quite; very:
The wind blew pretty hard.
12.
Informal. prettily.
verb (used with object), prettied, prettying.
13.
to make pretty; improve the appearance of (sometimes followed by up):
to pretty oneself for a party; to pretty up a room.
Idioms
14.
sitting pretty, Informal.
  1. in an advantageous position.
  2. well-to-do; successful.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English prati(e), pratte, prettie cunning, gallant, fine, handsome, pretty; Old English prættig, prettī cunning, derivative of prǣtt a trick, wile (cognate with Dutch part, pret trick, prank, Old Norse prettr trick, prettugr tricky)
Related forms
prettily, adverb
prettiness, noun
prettyish, adjective
unprettily, adverb
unprettiness, noun
unpretty, adjective
Synonyms
1. See beautiful. 2–4. pleasant. 10. somewhat.
Antonyms
1. ugly.
Usage note
The qualifying adverb pretty, meaning “fairly or moderately” has been in general use since the late 16th century. Although most common in informal speech and writing, it is far from restricted to them, and often is less stilted than alternatives such as relatively, moderately, and quite.

sitting

[sit-ing] /ˈsɪt ɪŋ/
noun
1.
the act of a person or thing that sits.
2.
a period of remaining seated, as in posing for a portrait or reading a book.
3.
the space on or in which one sits, as in a church.
4.
a brooding, as of a hen upon eggs; incubation.
5.
the number of eggs on which a bird sits during a single hatching; clutch.
6.
a session, as of a court or legislature.
7.
the time or space allotted to the serving of a meal to a group, as aboard a ship.
adjective
8.
(of a bird) occupying a nest of eggs for hatching.
9.
of, for, or suited to sitting:
a sitting area in the lobby.
10.
holding an official position or office; occupying an appointed or elected seat; incumbent:
a sitting pontiff.
11.
in session or at work; active:
a sitting legislature.
Idioms
12.
sitting pretty, in an auspicious position:
He's been sitting pretty since he got that new job.
Origin
1175-1225; Middle English; see sit1, -ing1, -ing2
British Dictionary definitions for sitting pretty

pretty

/ˈprɪtɪ/
adjective -tier, -tiest
1.
pleasing or appealing in a delicate or graceful way
2.
dainty, neat, or charming
3.
commendable; good of its kind: he replied with a pretty wit
4.
(informal, often ironic) excellent, grand, or fine: here's a pretty mess!
5.
(informal) lacking in masculinity; effeminate; foppish
6.
(Scot) vigorous or brave
7.
an archaic word for elegant
8.
(informal) a pretty penny, a large sum of money
9.
(informal) sitting pretty, well placed or established financially, socially, etc
noun (pl) -ties
10.
a pretty person or thing
adverb
11.
(informal) fairly or moderately; somewhat
12.
(informal) quite or very
verb -ties, -tying, -tied
13.
(transitive) often foll by up. to make pretty; adorn
Derived Forms
prettily, adverb
prettiness, noun
Word Origin
Old English prættig clever; related to Middle Low German prattich obstinate, Dutch prettig glad, Old Norse prettugr cunning

sitting

/ˈsɪtɪŋ/
noun
1.
a continuous period of being seated: I read his novel at one sitting
2.
such a period in a restaurant, canteen, etc, where space and other facilities are limited: dinner will be served in two sittings
3.
the act or period of posing for one's portrait to be painted, carved, etc
4.
a meeting, esp of an official body, to conduct business
5.
the incubation period of a bird's eggs during which the mother sits on them to keep them warm
adjective
6.
in office: a sitting Member of Parliament
7.
(of a hen) brooding eggs
8.
seated: in a sitting position
Word Origin and History for sitting pretty

pretty

adj.

Old English prættig (West Saxon), pretti (Kentish), *prettig (Mercian) "cunning, skillful, artful, wily, astute," from prætt, *prett "a trick, wile, craft," from West Germanic *pratt- (cf. Old Norse prettr "a trick," prettugr "tricky;" Frisian pret, Middle Dutch perte, Dutch pret "trick, joke," Dutch prettig "sportive, funny," Flemish pertig "brisk, clever"), of unknown origin.

Connection between Old English and Middle English words is uncertain, but if they are the same, meaning had shifted by c.1400 to "manly, gallant," and later moved via "attractive, skillfully made," to "fine," to "beautiful in a slight way" (mid-15c.). Ironical use from 1530s. For sense evolution, compare nice, silly. Also used of bees (c.1400). "After the OE. period the word is unknown till the 15th c., when it becomes all at once frequent in various senses, none identical with the OE., though derivable from it" [OED].

Meaning "not a few, considerable" is from late 15c. With a sense of "moderately," qualifying adjectives and adverbs, since 1560s. Pretty please as an emphatic plea is attested from 1902. A pretty penny "lot of money" is first recorded 1768.

v.

1916, usually with up, from pretty (adj.). Related: Prettied; prettying. Cf. prettify.

n.

"a pretty person or thing," 1736, from pretty (adj.).

sitting

n.

early 13c., verbal noun from sit (v.). Meaning "a meeting of a body" is from c.1400. Meaning "interval during which one sits" (for some purpose, especially to have one's portrait taken) is from 1706. Sitting-room first recorded 1771. Slang sitting duck "easy target" first recorded 1944; literal sense is from 1867 (it is considered not sporting to shoot at one).

sitting pretty in Culture

sitting pretty definition


In a favorable position: “Abby finally got that promotion, and now she's sitting pretty.”

Slang definitions & phrases for sitting pretty

pretty

adverb

Quite; more than a little: The weather's pretty rotten (1565+)

Related Terms

be sitting pretty


sitting pretty in the Bible

the attitude generally assumed in Palestine by those who were engaged in any kind of work. "The carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze, sitting on the ground or upon the plank he is planning. The washerwoman sits by the tub; and, in a word, no one stands when it is possible to sit. Shopkeepers always sit, and Levi sitting at the receipt of custom (Matt. 9:9) is the exact way to state the case.", Thomson, Land and Book.

Idioms and Phrases with sitting pretty

sitting pretty

In an advantageous position; also, financially well off. For example, The terms of the will left Mary sitting pretty. Although the use of pretty in the sense of “advantageous” is much older, this colloquialism dates only from the early 1900s. It was given extra currency as the title of two different musicals, Sittin' Pretty (M. Moore, 1921) and Sitting Pretty (G. Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, 1924).

pretty

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