lousey

comparative lousier · superlative lousiest

1. uncommonUncommon form of lousy; typically in the literal sense of infested with lice.

   Workers left because poor food or lousey beds drove them away.

   1927 June, William Edge, chapter IV, in The Main Stem, New York, N.Y.: Vanguard Press, page 48

   5 more examples

   Evonymus, Spindle-Tree. Sprinkle a ſufficient quantity of the berries, groſsly pulverized, upon the louſey head, and it kills the lice.

   1771, John Cruso, anonymous translator, “Pediculi et Lendes. Nits and Lice.”, in A Treasure of Easy Medicines, Briefly Comprehending Approved and Specific Remedies for Almost All Disorders of the Human Body. […], London: […] W. Faden, […], page 178

   Under this head came complaints of lousey heads, and insufficient linen, and unchanged sheets and shirts, and defective cooking and hard meat, and sour mill, and no water supply.

   1871 November 8, “The Hampstead Hospital Enquiry. Special Review. […] No. I.”, in Medical Press & Circular […], London; Dublin; Edinburgh, footnote, page 414, column 2

   I think the gentleman that has so much trouble with lousey houses has probably got a lousey hat. I would be as much surprised to find my poultry houses lousey as my hat. I agree to give any man a dollar apiece for every louse he can find in my houses.

   1886, H. A. Mansfield, quotee, State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. First Annual Report of the State Board of Agriculture, Made to the General Assembly, at Its January Session, 1886., Providence: E. L. Freeman & Son, […], page 254

   [T]he filthy and lousey clothes are marked on this card “Lousey,” and they are sent over to what is called the lousehouse in the female yard and they are tossed in there; a man might happen to get lousey by sitting by somebody else, and when he is to get out in a week or so he is walking alive with them; […]

   1896, Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York, One Hundred and Nineteenth Session, volume XVII, number 83, part II, Albany, N.Y.; New York, N.Y.: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., page 1852

   But fortunately, we finally landed in New Orleans, took a bath, shaved, cut off our manes and tails, diked ourselves out in new suits, threw our lousey clothes away; […]

   1906 June 14, S. F. Nunnelee, “Alabama in Mexico War: Letter to Dr. W. S. Wyman from S. F. Nunnelee”, in Peter A. Brannon, editor, The Alabama Historical Quarterly, volume 19, number 1, Montgomery, Ala.: State Department of Archives and History, published spring 1957, page 432