This is a new feature I’m starting. Every Saturday, I will post an unusual or archaic word along with its definition and what I think of it.
FROWSY is a word I remember hearing a lot more when I was a child. It’s a real word, not a slang word, but I think it’s fallen out of fashion because I really never hear it any more. It’s a fantastic word though, and sounds exactly like what it describes, so it needs to come back.
The chart of its popularity over time does show that “frowsy” is a lot less used than it used to be, but even in the ’60s it wasn’t much used. It seems to have been at its most popular early in the 20th century–the 1920s an 1930s. Lately it’s shown a slight uptick. Maybe other people are discovering what a great word it is.
Lucky Otters Haven 
Reblogged this on DREAM BIG DREAM OFTEN and commented:
I love this segment idea on Lucky Otter’s Haven…Word of the Week!!
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I knew you would! 🙂
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That is a creative segment that will get people to visit your page. Good thinking!
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It just popped in my mind when I woke up–I think that’s the way the Muse works sometimes. 🙂
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🙂
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Lucky Otter I love words and learning new words and no I’ve never heard of frowsy before. Would it be similar to frumpy? My style of dress as a borderline was a bit frowsy while I was ill and before recovering. Nowadays I pay a lot of attention to grooming and enjoy dressing and accessorizing.
I’ve also heard that’s one way you can tell a borderline from a narc. A borderline dresses down, a narc dresses to the nines!
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Yes, frowsy is much like frumpy, but I think it includes a bit more messiness or carelessness. Like someone dressed sloppily who doesn’t bother to comb their hair, would be frowsy. Someone who just dresses dowdy and out of style would be frumpy.
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Thanks:) I love knowing the differences.
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I remember the world from my childhood, but I never heard it applied to a place, only a person. Usually one who’d just crawled out of bed and hadn’t found a hairbrush.
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I never heard it applied to a place either, and someone just getting out of bed definitely looks frowsy!
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Ha! I just used this word to describe my hubby’s hair and beard, or rather we both did. We got a chuckle from this. Thank you for sharing, I love learning new things every day!
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I can’t wait for an opportunity to use this word. That’s funny about you using it today with your husband.
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I’m sure the opportunity will present itself. 😉 I read the word and its definition to him and he said it applied to his beard and then said, “I bet my hair will look frowsy soon.” and then he looked at me and said, “Or it looks frowsy now?” To which I grinned and replied, “Yes, it looks very frowsy.” Now I have that word stuck in my head. 😉
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Maybe we can get everyone to use this word and it will become trendy again!
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Maybe! Wouldn’t that be something?
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It would be kind of cool if everyone starts using it because of this post. lol!
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Indeed it would!
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Wow! I thought my mom made that word up! LOL!!!!
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Your mom used it too? My mom used it ALL THE TIME. I thought she made it up too lol.
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LOL!😉
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Had to check to make sure my cam was not running – thought maybe you were talking about me. (feeling a bit frowzy today!) Love words. Love this – thank you!! And thanks to Dray, for sending me over 🙂
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For some reason the alliterative phrase “frowzy floozy” came to mind when I read this. Must have seen or heard it somewhere, I guess.
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I like the alliteration in that.
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