All 12 Uses
trifle
in
The Mayor of Casterbridge
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- The young woman his wife, who seemed accustomed to such remarks, acted as if she did not hear them, and continued her intermittent private words of tender trifles to the sleeping and waking child, who was just big enough to be placed for a moment on the bench beside her when she wished to ease her arms.†
Chpt 1trifles = things of small importance
- He went round to the door, and the housewife agreed to prepare him some breakfast for a trifling payment, which was done.†
Chpt 2 *
- You see what's to be done, and you hear what I say, and you know I'm not going to be trifled with any longer.†
Chpt 15 *trifled with = treated thoughtlessly or without respect
- One safe-guard more remains to be mentioned—that no writings of mine, or trifling articles belonging to me, should be left in your possession through neglect or forgetfulness.†
Chpt 18
- Can you meet me with the letters and other trifles?†
Chpt 18trifles = things of small importance
- "Some trifling fancy or other of poor Susan's, I suppose," he said; and without curiosity he allowed his eyes to scan the letter:— MY DEAR MICHAEL,—For the good of all three of us I have kept one thing a secret from you till now.†
Chpt 19
- Henchard had frequently met this man about the streets, observed that his clothing spoke of neediness, heard that he lived in Mixen Lane—a back slum of the town, the pis aller of Casterbridge domiciliation—itself almost a proof that a man had reached a stage when he would not stick at trifles.†
Chpt 26trifles = things of small importance
- Every trifling emotion that her husband showed as he talked had its reflex on her face and lips, which moved in little duplicates to his.†
Chpt 37
- 'Tis a very promising broodmare, a trifle over five years old, and nothing the matter with the hoss at all, except that she's a little holler in the back and had her left eye knocked out by the kick of another, her own sister, coming along the road.†
Chpt 1
- Why, my blessed fathers, what an ado you women make about a trifle!†
Chpt 14
- When they paid him they said, "Just a trifle for Christmas," or "Candlemas," as the case might be.†
Chpt 26
- As was usual, after reckoning too surely on famine weather the local farmers had flown to the other extreme, and (in Farfrae's opinion) were selling off too recklessly—calculating with just a trifle too much certainty upon an abundant yield.†
Chpt 27
Definitions:
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(1)
(trifle as in: a trifling matter) something of small importance; or a small quantity
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(2)
(trifle with as in: trifle with her affections) to treat somebody or something thoughtlessly or without respect
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(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) A trifle can refer to a kind of dessert. In classic literature, trifling can be a synonym for small talk.