devil-may-care (adj.)

"reckless, careless," 1828 (but suggested in other forms by 1793). As an oath or expression by 1815.

also from 1828

Trends of devil-may-care

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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1706, of persons, also style or appearance, carriage, etc., "debauched, disreputable, having the manners or appearance of a libertine or idle and dissolute person," from rake (n.2) + -ish. Related: Rakishly; rakishness. The meaning "smart, jaunty, dashing" (1824), at first of shi

daredevil

.) + devil (n.). The devil might refer to the person, or the sense might be "one who dares the devil."...killjoy, dreadnought, pickpocket (n.), cut-throat, also fear-babe a 16c. word for "something that frightens children;" kill-devil...

warlock

Old English wærloga "traitor, liar, enemy, devil," from wær "faith, fidelity; a compact, agreement, covenant," from Proto-Germanic...Original primary sense seems to have been "oath-breaker;" given special application to the devil (c. 1000), but also used...Meaning "one in league with the devil" is recorded from c. 1300....

garage

generally "place for storing something," from verb garer "to shelter," also "to dock ships," from Old French garir "take care...save, spare, rescue," from Frankish *waron "to guard" or some other Germanic source (compare Old High German waron "take care...[New York Athletic Club Journal, May 1902]...

Puck

name was Robin Goodfellow or Friar Rush), also generally, "an elf, fairy, or sprite;" probably from Middle English pouke "devil...spirit" (c. 1300; early 13c. in place-names), from Old English puca, pucel "goblin," which is cognate with Old Norse puki "devil...

curious

sophisticated;" late 14c., "eager to know, inquisitive, desirous of seeing" (often in a bad sense), also "wrought with or requiring care...Modern French curieux) and directly from Latin curiosus "careful, diligent; inquiring eagerly, meddlesome," akin to cura "care...Curious and inquisitive may be used in a good or a bad sense, but inquisitive is more often, and prying is only, found in...

reck

Middle English recchen "to care, heed, have a mind, be concerned about" (later usually with of), from Old English reccan...(2) "take care of, be interested in, care for; have regard to, take heed of; to care, heed; desire (to do something)" (strong...Germanic *rokjan, from Proto-Germanic *rokja- (source also of Old Saxon rokjan, Middle Dutch roeken, Old Norse rækja "to care...for," Old High German giruochan "to care for, have regard to," German geruhen "to deign," which is influenced by ruhen "...

pipsqueak

also pip-squeak, contemptuous name for an insignificant person, 1910, from the trivial noise a young or weak creature makes. In World War I it was the soldier's slang name for a small German shell "which makes both a pip and a squeak when it comes over the trenches" [Farrow, "Dic

tuberculosis

1860, "disease characterized by tubercules," a medical Latin hybrid, from Latin tuberculum "small swelling, pimple," diminutive of tuber "lump" (from PIE root *teue- "to swell") + -osis, a suffix of Greek origin. So called in reference to the tubercules which form in the lungs. O

humility

early 14c., "quality of being humble," from Old French umelite "humility, modesty, sweetness" (Modern French humilité), from Latin humilitatem (nominative humilitas) "lowness, small stature; insignificance; baseness, littleness of mind," in Church Latin "meekness," from humilis "

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updated on August 21, 2018

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Dictionary entries near devil-may-care

devil

devil's advocate

devil-fish

devilish

devilled

devil-may-care

devilment

devilry

devil-worship

devious

devirginate