http://wordie.org/words/tawdry Comments for the word 'Tawdry' http://wordie.org http://wordie.org/words/tawdry#comments According to the Oxford American Dictionaries, this word comes from the expression "tawdry lace" &lt; St. Audrey's lace; St. Audrey (or Etheldrida) was the patron saint of Ely, England, where such lace was traditionally sold. Sun, 16 Dec 2007 04:17:58 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/tawdry#comments http://wordie.org/words/tawdry#comments <a href="/words/tawdry">tawdry</a> original root word derived from "noble might": meaning has now shifted 180 degrees: rhymes with Audrey which maintains its original meaning Sun, 14 Jan 2007 12:22:04 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/tawdry#comments