Foppery

/ˈfɒp.ə.ri/ noun

Definition

Foolish behavior or concerns that focus too much on clothes, appearance, and fashion rather than things that really matter.

Etymology

From fop + -ery (suffix meaning practice or behavior). Fop originally meant a foolish person in Middle English, and -ery was added to create a noun describing the practice of being a fop.

Kelly Says

Foppery flourished as a word during the 17th-18th centuries when fashion became wildly elaborate and social satire thrived—writers like Restoration playwrights used it constantly to mock wealthy men who cared more about ribbons than reason.

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