comely maidens

noun

An outdated stereotype of Irish women; used as a reference to misogynistic opinions.

“He was surprised to see so many women workers. What did he expect, comely maidens?”

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Meanings

nouncomely maidens pl (plural only)
  1. Irelandpluralplural onlyAn outdated stereotype of Irish women; used as a reference to misogynistic opinions.

    He was surprised to see so many women workers. What did he expect, comely maidens?

Origin

Incorrectly attributed to a speech by Irish statesman Éamon de Valera. A longer version is often misquoted as "comely maidens, dancing at the crossroads". The actual phrase, delivered in a radio broadcast on St. Patrick's Day 1943, mentions "the laughter of happy maidens, whose firesides would be forums for the wisdom of serene old age." See Wikipedia article.

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Cite this entry
APA

comely maidens. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comely%20maidens

MLA

“comely maidens.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comely%20maidens. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “comely maidens,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/comely%20maidens.

Source: comely maidens on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.