English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Probably connected to tidy. Granville (1950) claims that it is "from tidy, influenced by titivate",[1] while Jolly (2018) states that it "appears merely to be a whimsical corruption of tidily".[2]

Noun edit

tiddly suit (plural tiddly suits)

  1. (nautical) A sailor's best uniform, often tailored and not strictly to regulation.

References edit

  1. ^ Wilfred Granville (1950) Sea Slang of the Twentieth Century, Philosophical Library
  2. ^ Rick Jolly (2018) Jackspeak: A Guide to British Naval Slang & Usage, Bloomsbury