creepmouse

English

Etymology

creep +‎ mouse, from a likening of a person's character and/or behaviour to that of a small, timorous, and often unseen rodent.

Adjective

creepmouse (comparative more creepmouse, superlative most creepmouse)

(mildly derogatory) Timid and unassuming in the extreme.
- 1814 July, [Jane Austen], chapter XV, in Mansfield Park: A Novel. In Three Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for T[homas] Egerton, […], OCLC 39810224, page 304:
  Indeed but you must, for we cannot excuse you. It need not frighten you; it is a nothing of a part, a mere nothing, not above half a dozen speeches altogether, and it will not much signify if nobody hears a word you say, so you may be as creepmouse as you like, but we must have you to look at.
- 1985, Jean Ure, After Thursday, Delacorte Press (1985), →ISBN, page 161:
  Abe had been enjoying himself, without so much as a thought in his head as to how she was getting on; why shouldn't she have her turn? She was sick of being boring and creepmouse. While the cat was away the mice deserved to play — at least they did if that was how the cat was going to behave.
- 1990, John McAleer, "Satirizing The Academy", Chicago Tribune, 18 November 1990:
  A box of manuscripts, buried with Ash by Ellen, his creepmouse widow, is opened; the lovers' final secrets are revealed. Ellen, we find, had never let Ash consummate their marriage.
- For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:creepmouse.

Noun

creepmouse (plural creepmice)

(mildly derogatory) An extremely timid and unassuming person.
- 1831, Catherine Gore, Mothers and Daughters, Volume II, E. L. Carey & A. Hart/Allen & Ticknor (1834), page 62:
  "Pho! pho ! — I do not believe a word of it. Lord Basingstoke is one of those shy young men who are very much attached to any one who will take the trouble of making love to them ; — one of those creepmice who run away with their mother's waiting-maid, or marry an actress for want of courage and patience to encounter the formalities of an honourable courtship. […]
- 1907, Florence Hayllar, Nepenthes, William Blackwood and Sons (1907), page 5:
  The knocking was repeated, — a very gentle knocking, which seemed to argue that the devil was in a polite and patient mood. I felt a little creepmouse myself as I heard it, but I got up, and leaving the quaking woman in the parlour, I went and opened the door.
- 2009, Laurie Viera Rigler, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, Dutton (2009), →ISBN, page 6:
  Don't be such a frightened little creepmouse. I take a deep breath, look at the feet again, and giggle.
- For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:creepmouse.

单词	creepmouse
释义	creepmouse English Etymology creep +‎ mouse, from a likening of a person's character and/or behaviour to that of a small, timorous, and often unseen rodent. Adjective creepmouse (comparative more creepmouse, superlative most creepmouse) (mildly derogatory) Timid and unassuming in the extreme. 1814 July, [Jane Austen], chapter XV, in Mansfield Park: A Novel. In Three Volumes, volume I, London: Printed for T[homas] Egerton, […], OCLC 39810224, page 304: Indeed but you must, for we cannot excuse you. It need not frighten you; it is a nothing of a part, a mere nothing, not above half a dozen speeches altogether, and it will not much signify if nobody hears a word you say, so you may be as creepmouse as you like, but we must have you to look at. 1985, Jean Ure, After Thursday, Delacorte Press (1985), →ISBN, page 161: Abe had been enjoying himself, without so much as a thought in his head as to how she was getting on; why shouldn't she have her turn? She was sick of being boring and creepmouse. While the cat was away the mice deserved to play — at least they did if that was how the cat was going to behave. 1990, John McAleer, "Satirizing The Academy", Chicago Tribune, 18 November 1990: A box of manuscripts, buried with Ash by Ellen, his creepmouse widow, is opened; the lovers' final secrets are revealed. Ellen, we find, had never let Ash consummate their marriage. For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:creepmouse. Noun creepmouse (plural creepmice) (mildly derogatory) An extremely timid and unassuming person. 1831, Catherine Gore, Mothers and Daughters, Volume II, E. L. Carey & A. Hart/Allen & Ticknor (1834), page 62: "Pho! pho ! — I do not believe a word of it. Lord Basingstoke is one of those shy young men who are very much attached to any one who will take the trouble of making love to them ; — one of those creepmice who run away with their mother's waiting-maid, or marry an actress for want of courage and patience to encounter the formalities of an honourable courtship. […] 1907, Florence Hayllar, Nepenthes, William Blackwood and Sons (1907), page 5: The knocking was repeated, — a very gentle knocking, which seemed to argue that the devil was in a polite and patient mood. I felt a little creepmouse myself as I heard it, but I got up, and leaving the quaking woman in the parlour, I went and opened the door. 2009, Laurie Viera Rigler, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, Dutton (2009), →ISBN, page 6: Don't be such a frightened little creepmouse. I take a deep breath, look at the feet again, and giggle. For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:creepmouse.
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