doily
doily
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
/ˈdɔɪ.li/
Syllable 1: "doi" /dɔɪ/
/d/: The voiced alveolar stop, as in "dog."
/ɔɪ/: The diphthong (gliding vowel) sound, as in "boy" or "toy."
Syllable 2: "ly" /li/
/l/: The voiced alveolar lateral approximant, as in "lid."
/i/: The high front vowel, as in "happy" or "fleece."
Word Form Variations
Singular: doily
Plural: doilies
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A small, ornamental mat, typically made of crocheted lace, paper, or plastic, used to protect a surface or as a decorative element under an object (such as a vase, pastry, or centerpiece).
Synonyms: lace mat, antimacassar, small placemat, ornamental mat
Antonyms: None typically used (as it is a specific concrete object)
(Figurative) Something considered overly fussy, delicate, or quaintly old-fashioned.
Synonyms: frill, triviality, fussy detail
Antonyms: necessity, essential, staple
Adjective
(Informal) Resembling or characteristic of a doily; intricately lacy, frilly, or overly delicate.
Synonyms: lacy, frilly, ornate, fussy, delicate, dainty
Antonyms: plain, simple, unadorned, minimalist, coarse
Examples of Use
Books
In Fiction: "She surveyed the room: the polished tables, each with its pristine white doily, the scent of lemon oil and old roses." (Descriptive use in a novel to establish a tidy, traditional, or old-fashioned atmosphere).
In Memoirs/Non-Fiction: "My grandmother’s house was a museum of such things... every flat surface protected by a carefully crocheted doily." (Used to evoke nostalgia or describe a specific domestic environment).
Newspapers and Online Publications
In Crafting/DIY Articles: "With just a paper doily and some string, you can create a beautiful, lacy garland for a wedding or party." (Commonly found in craft blogs or lifestyle sections).
In Food/Entertaining Sections: "Serve the scones on your best silver platter, arranging them neatly on a paper doily for a professional touch." (Advice found in baking or etiquette columns).
In Home Decor Articles: "While some see the doily as a fussy relic, interior designers are finding modern ways to incorporate these intricate textiles into contemporary decor." (Discussing the item as a decor trend).
Entertainment (TV/Film)
In Dialogue: A character visiting an elderly relative's home might whisper to their companion, "Wow, I haven't seen this many doilies in one place since... ever. There's one on top of the television!" (Used to quickly communicate that a setting is old-fashioned or fussy).
General Public Discourse
In Conversation: "I'm trying to make my apartment feel more modern, so I finally packed away all of my mother's old doilies."
At Antique Stores/Flea Markets: "Look at the detailed needlework on this linen doily; it must have taken someone weeks to make."
On Social Media (e.g., Pinterest, Instagram): "Just finished my first crochet project! A set of six lavender doilies for my nightstands. #crochet #vintagehome"
10 Famous Quotes Using Doily
"I think grief is like a really ugly couch... you can slap a doily on top of it... but eventually, you learn to live with it." (Jodi Picoult, Leaving Time)
"I'm a wounded dwarf with the mystical strength of a doily." (Rupert Giles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Chosen")
"People who put... doilies, plastic protectors, and cellophane on everything good that they own rarely live to see an occasion so good that all these covers are removed." (Judith Martin, "Miss Manners")
"You look like a doily." (Michael Grates, Reality Bites)
"I have nothing against doilies, but they're a slippery slope." (T. Kingfisher, A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking)
"It was on a magazine! And it still had the doily on." (George Costanza, Seinfeld, "The Pothole")
"Back then, a few doilies and napkins were all that a lot of women had." (Oprah Winfrey)
"The action to liberate Baader wasn't crocheting doilies either." (Gudrun Ensslin)
"She's at the yarn store. She's crocheting this massive doily for the couch." (Carolyn, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead)
"...our antipathy to vainglory explains the decision of many of us to wear... the little doilies on our heads..." (Rhoda Janzen, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress)
Etymology
In simple terms, the word "doily" comes from the last name of a person.
It's named after a London shopkeeper, who lived in the late 1600s or early 1700s. His name was Mr. Doiley (sometimes spelled D'Oyley or Doyley), and he was a draper, which means he sold fabrics and cloth.
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how the word evolved:
Original Meaning: A Type of Fabric
Mr. Doiley became famous for selling a specific type of wool fabric. It was popular because it was "at once cheap and genteel," meaning it was affordable but still looked fancy. People in the 1600s would refer to this material as "Doiley stuffs" or even wear a "Doiley suit."First Use: A Fancy Napkin
Around the early 1700s, this fabric (or a similar lightweight cloth) was used to make small, fashionable dessert napkins. The first known use of the word in this context was around 1711, when people called them "Doiley-napkins." They were used at the end of a meal, perhaps to wipe one's fingers after eating fruit or pastries.Modern Meaning: The Lace Mat
Over time, people just dropped the "napkin" part and simply called them "doilies." Much later, in the Victorian era (the mid-to-late 1800s), making intricate lace and crochet items became extremely popular. The name "doily" was transferred from the small cloth napkin to these new, purely ornamental mats made of crocheted thread or paper lace, which is what we think of as a doily today.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Doily
About as tough as a paper doily
Meaning: Extremely weak, fragile, or delicate.
The mystical strength of a doily
Meaning: A sarcastic phrase indicating something has virtually no strength or influence whatsoever. (Adapted from a quote in Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
A doily on a battleship
Meaning: A phrase describing something fussy, delicate, or purely ornamental that is completely useless or out of place in a rugged, functional, or serious environment.
All frills and no substance
Meaning: An idiom for something that looks attractive or ornate (like a doily) but lacks underlying value, strength, or practical use.
Gilding the lily
Meaning: To add unnecessary, fussy ornamentation to something that is already beautiful; the figurative equivalent of placing a doily under an already ornate vase.
Too many doilies in the parlor
Meaning: A way to describe a place, situation, or person as being overly stuffy, old-fashioned, or caught up in fussy, unimportant details.
Handle with kid gloves
Meaning: To treat something or someone with extreme care and delicacy, as one would treat an antique lace doily.
Old hat
Meaning: An idiom for something that is outdated, old-fashioned, or quaint—a label often applied to doilies themselves.
A doily-minded person
Meaning: Someone who fusses over trivial details and etiquette; a person with a delicate or old-fashioned sensibility.
(To put a) doily over the problem
Meaning: To use a pretty, trivial, or old-fashioned solution to cover up a serious, underlying issue, without actually fixing it.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of doily from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
