The quality or state of being a gigman; the condition of maintaining a respectable middle-class status or lifestyle.
From gigman (a man who keeps a gig, a light two-wheeled carriage) + -ness (suffix forming abstract nouns). Emerged in 19th-century English to describe the aspirational middle class.
This word perfectly captures Victorian anxiety about social status—owning a gig was the 1800s equivalent of having the right car today, making 'gigmaness' a hilariously specific marker of trying to appear respectable.
Female counterpart to gigman, applying gendered expectations of female respectability tied to economic performance and appearance.
Avoid; use 'respectable appearance' or 'modest means' instead.
["respectability","modest means"]
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