unschoolmarmish

comparative more unschoolmarmish · superlative most unschoolmarmish

1. Not schoolmarmish.

   He is attracted to an unschoolmarmish schoolmistress, but cannot settle down to Ireland.

   1938 April 29, John Brophy, “Books of the Day: New Fiction: Three Irish Novels”, in The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post, number 25,868 Daily Telegraph / 51,739 Morning Post, London, section “Miss Kate O’Brien”, page 22

   5 more examples

   A young man on Minnesota Street and one of the lady teachers in one of the public schools not far from Cass Avenue, having concluded that a consolidation of their joys and sorrows would lead to their mutual advantage, resolved that upon the 17th day of July, 1878, at 8 o’clock in the evening, they would be joined in holy wedlock. […] The young man didn’t know a license was necessary. He begged the minister to go on. The minister respected the majesty of the law and refused. The bride burst into very un[-]school-marmish tears; she sobbed and prayed the hard-hearted clergyman to look upon that wedding outfit and complete the ceremony.

   1878 July 27, “A Marriage that Didn’t Come Off”, in The Iola Register, volume XII, number 31, Iola, Kan., front page, column 6

   So now, stimulated by some further experience with that world which does not care a tinker's damn whether a verb agrees with its subject in number and person or not, she permitted the taxicab to jounce her smile out of all semblance to anything calmly superior and into a very unschoolmarmish grin.

   1921, Harvey Wickham, “Introducing the Garden of Eden”, in The Clue of the Primrose Petal, New York, N.Y.: Edward J. Clode, page 9

   Alma is an experienced teacher from Manitoba, here for a Refresher Course. She readily fitted into the activities of the School. Many times she added her apt, unschoolmarmish comments to impromptu discussions.

   1939, Anecho: The Yearly Publication of the Provincial Normal School, Victoria, B.C., page 6

   You’ll find after-Easter bargains that will tempt you to start from your toes and work right on up to your hat—an utterly frivolous, “un-schoolmarmish” one, please!

   1939 April 9, The Courier-Journal, volume CLXIX, number 25,666, Louisville, Ken., section 4, page 7

   We tiptoed backstage in search of our second grader and found Mrs. Brown, who handles second graders with humor and affection, leaning against a packing case muffling a hearty case of un[-]school-marmish hysterics.

   1946 December 2, Celestine Sibley, “Relentless Approach Of Christmas Things”, in The Atlanta Constitution, volume LXXIX, number 170, Atlanta, Ga., page 7