saucy

English

WOTD – 30 October 2008

Alternative forms

• sawcy (obsolete)

Etymology

From sauce +‎ -y .

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔː.sɪ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ.si/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈsɑ.si/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔːsi
• Rhymes: -ɒsi

Adjective

saucy (comparative saucier, superlative sauciest)

1. Similar to sauce; having the consistency or texture of sauce.

   Bring the tomatoes to a boil and then simmer until they reach a saucy consistency.

2. Impertinent or disrespectful, often in a manner that is regarded as entertaining or amusing; smart.
   • c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i], line 143:

     If this be known to you, and your allowance/ When we have done you bold and saucy wrongs.
     She is a loud, saucy child who doesn't show a lot of respect to her elders.

3. Impudently bold; pert.
4. Sharp; pungent; piquant.
5. Mildly erotic.

   I enjoyed the dancing, but my wife found it a little too saucy.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:cheeky

Derived terms

• sassy
• saucily
• sauciness

 

Translations

similar to sauce

• Czech: omáčkový (cs) m
• Dutch: sausachtig
• Finnish: vetelä (fi), kastikemainen

• German: soßenartig

impertinent or disrespectful

• Bulgarian: дързък (bg) (dǎrzǎk), нахален (bg) (nahalen)
• Czech: oprsklý
• Dutch: brutaal (nl)
• Finnish: topakka (fi), tomera (fi)
• French: effronté (fr), impertinent (fr)
• German: keck (de), kess (de), frech (de)
• Irish: brusanta

• Italian: impertinente (it)
• Maori: nēnene
• Norwegian: frekk
• Plautdietsch: frajch
• Russian: де́рзкий (ru) (dérzkij), на́глый (ru) (náglyj), наха́льный (ru) (naxálʹnyj)
• Spanish: travieso (es), pícaro (es)

impudently bold

• Bulgarian: дързък (bg) (dǎrzǎk)
• Czech: oprsklý
• Dutch: brutaal (nl)
• Finnish: räväkkä (fi)
• German: schamlos (de), frech (de)
• Maori: nēnene

• Norwegian: frekk
• Plautdietsch: frajch
• Russian: де́рзкий (ru) (dérzkij)
• Swedish: fräck (sv)

mildly erotic

• Czech: šťavnatý
• Dutch: pikant (nl)
• Finnish: sähäkkä
• French: osé (fr)

• German: gewagt (de)
• Hungarian: pikáns (hu)
• Norwegian: dristig
• Russian: непристо́йный (ru) (nepristójnyj), неприли́чный (ru) (neprilíčnyj)

See also

• sassy

Anagrams

• yucas