One way to hold this word: something has flowers on it. Not one flower, but flowers spread over the whole surface — a dress, a wall, a field, a cup. Once you can see that picture, the rest of the word is a question of where the flowers are and whether you can touch them. On cloth they are printed. In a field they are growing. In a smell they have left only their scent behind. In a sentence they are extra words, added to make the line look richer. In someone's bow they are the wide sweep of the arm. Every time, the same move: a plain surface, covered in decoration.
From the word’s history
From Middle English floury, which is simply flower plus the ending -y. The ending -y in English often means covered with or full of, as in rainy and sandy. So the word arrives already meaning covered in flowers.
來自中古英文 floury，就是 flower 加上字尾 -y。英文的 -y 常表示「滿是…的、帶著…的」，像 rainy、sandy。所以這個字一開始就帶著「身上滿是花」的意思。今天不管用在布上、地上、味道上還是話裡，都還走在這條線上。
Wiktionary entry for flowery, etymology 1 (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1139722706): From Middle English floury, equivalent to flower + -y (adjectival suffix).
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原始詞典資料9 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
floweryadj詞源 1/ˈflaʊəɹi/
- 1
Pertaining to or characteristic of flowers.
- “Sir you are mistaken—I am not——.” But before he could say ‘a girl,’ this ancient period-strumpet of a bedizened man (upon a pattern drawn from a time of swords and silk, when men were in their floweriest scent—savagely tattooed with braid—intoxicated with their own snuff—forever on tiptoe—disgusted with the mannish—wooing Woman after the fashion of women) burst in and silenced him, […]
- 2
Decorated with or abundant in flowers.
- At last she reached a flowery knoll, at whose feet ran a little burn, shaded with woodbine and wild roses; and there she sat down, burying her face in her hands.
- 3
Of a speech or piece of writing: overly complicated or elaborate; with grandiloquent expressions; marked by rhetorical elegance.
- My accusers, then, as I maintain, have said little or nothing that is true, but from me you shall hear the whole truth; not, I can assure you, gentlemen, in flowery language like theirs, decked out with fine words and phrases; […]
- 4
Melodramatic, overexaggerated.
- Although flowery actions are used in the plays of the 1890s, waving arms, wringing hands, and pleading with outstretched arms would be unsuitable in plays about modern life.
- “Miss, it would be my great pleasure to escort you and your uncle to supper this evening.” Sasha stifled her desire to roll her eyes at his flowery actions, but the fact that he omitted inviting Jim irritated her.
flowerynoun詞源 1/ˈflaʊəɹi/
- 1
rareinformalSomeone or something considered flowery.
- Now the revolutionaries-the Commies, Ban the Bomb floweries, Hippies, Wierdies with Beardies, Aldermaston Marchers, IRA, Anarchists- are in the driving seat.
- I think those who happened to end up in the department of 'Critical Method' are a bunch of 'flowery' people who have absolutely NO clue of what Marxism has to say in this regard. […] Marxism has NOTHING to do with what the extremist leftists or rightists or floweries are doing/saying.
- 2
rareinformalSomeone or something considered flowery.
- “I am glad to find I have such an eloquent junior,” said he, shaking hands with me. “Just leave me the law and the arguments, and do you take the floweries.” / […] “I am afraid, Magee,” said I, “that neither your law nor my ‘floweries,’ as you call them, will be of much use here. The game is up.” / “Nonsense, man—the game is never up till the verdict is given. Everything depends on the jury. […] And of course we can have a strong alibi or two—eh?”
- It was well done up to that point -- apart from a few sneaky attacks of the floweries.
- 3
rareinformalSomeone or something considered flowery.
- [H]e gave it in charge to the Goldſmiths that were moſt ingenious, and of beſt capacity, to finſh and accompliſh the Buſineſs, engraven and adorned with all poſſible Variety: commanding that thoſe who wrought in the Borders, Raiſings, Floweries, Wrappings, Entortilations, and ſuch like; ſhould amuſe themſelves only for Beautifying and Decoration: […]
- ‘’Aven’t they got no floweries ’ere?’ he asked, looking round at the row of beds. ‘This is like a bleedin’ lodgin’ ’ouse—or like the bleedin’ snotty orphans.’
flowerynoun詞源 3/ˈflaʊəɹi/
- 1
rareA place where flowers grow.
- Poppies make very showy floweries and should be planted lightly in the spots where they are intended to be grown.
- I have visited the rose gardens of California and basked in the artificial floweries of Luther Burbank, but back in my heart’s country, ’twixt the cave and the thorn tree, one may pluck a tulip or an old-fashioned “Jack in the Pulpit” scattering incense and pollen of the fairest flower of all the springtime.
這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。