malapert
adjEtymology From mal- (“not, badly”) + apert (“open, revealed; direct, straightforward; clever, expert”), or from Middle French malappert, Old French mal apert (“ill-skilled”).
1
Archaic Cheeky, impudent, saucy.
- The follest slouen ondyr heuen, / Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde, / Malapert, medyllar, nothyng well thewde, […]a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Poems against Garnesche. Skelton Laureate Defendar ageinst Lusty Garnyshe Well Beseen Crystofer Chalangar, et cetera.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 130, lines 145–147:
- Nevertheleſſe I finde him [Iohn Bodine] ſomewhat malapert and bolde in that paſſage of his Methode of Hiſtorie, when he accuseth Plutarke, not onely of ignorance […] but alſo that he often writeth, things altogether incredible and meerely fabulous (theſe are his very words).1603, Michel de Montaigne, “A Defence of Seneca and Plutarke”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 414:
2 more examples
- […] Take heed of filling their [i.e., children's] heads with VVhimzies, and unprofitable Notions; for this vvill ſooner learn them to be malepert and proud, than ſober and humble.1663 April 27 (Gregorian calendar), John Bunyan, “Touching Parents”, in Christian Behaviour; or The Fruits of True Christianity. […], London: […] F. Smith, […], →OCLC, page 56:
- A proud heart, evidencing itself in a saucy, malapert, aweless, and careless carriage, is most unbeseeming the condition of servants, and highly displeasing to God in them, as being opposite to that property of fear and trembling which ought to accompany their obedience: "Be obedient with fear and trembling."[1841?], James Fergusson, “chapter VI”, in A Brief Exposition of the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, London: Thomas Ward and Co., Paternoster-Row, →OCLC, page 257, column 1:
- Synonyms
- cheeky
- Derived terms
- Malapert, malapertly, malapertness