Word of the Day

: January 22, 2010

Mrs. Grundy

noun MISS-uz-GRUN-dee

What It Means

: one marked by prudish conventionality in personal conduct

Mrs. Grundy in Context

After a barrage of complaints from Mrs. Grundys, the Web site's managers decided to remove the "objectionable" photos.

Did You Know?

"What would Mrs. Grundy say?" Dame Ashfield, a character in Thomas Morton's 1798 play Speed the Plough, was continually asking that question and worrying about invoking the sneering condemnation of her prudish neighbor, Mrs. Grundy. Although Mrs. Grundy never actually appeared on stage during the play, her critical attitude exerted a significant influence on the actions of other characters, and ultimately on the English language. By 1813, English speakers had adopted her name as a byword for anyone with extremely rigid standards of propriety that he or she applied in judging the actions of others.