I’m treating myself to a read of Eloisa James’s memoir, “Paris in Love,” which I do heartily recommend. One of the topics covered is how French women approach fashion, and what Eloisa learned from them. Somewhere in those pages, I came across the word, “twee.”
Hmm. I know I am not twee, but even in context, I wasn’t exactly, precisely sure what the word meant. OED, of course, came to my rescue:
Originally: ‘sweet’, dainty, chic. Now only in depreciatory use: affectedly dainty or quaint; over-nice, over-refined, precious, mawkish.
Ah, that made sense! Alas, the term has only been around since about 1900, so my Regency characters won’t get to use it… but I will!