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Preppy, also spelled preppie, is a shortened version of the word 'preparatory'. It is a chiefly North American
North American

North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together....
 adjective
Adjective

In grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntax role is to grammatical modifier a noun or pronoun, giving more information about the noun or pronoun's definition....
 or noun
Noun

In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open class lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition....
 traditionally used in relation to northeastern
Northeastern United States

The Northeast is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
 private university-preparatory school
University-preparatory school

A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary education, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education....
s, as well as those who attend some of America's prestigious private colleges and universities. These characteristics include particular subcultural
Subculture

In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong....
 speech, vocabulary, accent, dress, mannerisms, and etiquette
Etiquette

Etiquette is a code that influences expectations for social behavior according to contemporary Convention Norm s within a society, social class, or Group ....
. The term 'preppy' is similar in formation to yuppie
Yuppie

The term yuppie refers to an 1980s and early 1990s term for financially secure, upper-middle class young people in their 20s and early 30s....
, and it had great currency in the 1970s and 1980s.






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Encyclopedia


Preppy, also spelled preppie, is a shortened version of the word 'preparatory'. It is a chiefly North American
North American

North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together....
 adjective
Adjective

In grammar, an adjective is a word whose main syntax role is to grammatical modifier a noun or pronoun, giving more information about the noun or pronoun's definition....
 or noun
Noun

In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open class lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition....
 traditionally used in relation to northeastern
Northeastern United States

The Northeast is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
 private university-preparatory school
University-preparatory school

A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary education, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education....
s, as well as those who attend some of America's prestigious private colleges and universities. These characteristics include particular subcultural
Subculture

In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong....
 speech, vocabulary, accent, dress, mannerisms, and etiquette
Etiquette

Etiquette is a code that influences expectations for social behavior according to contemporary Convention Norm s within a society, social class, or Group ....
. The term 'preppy' is similar in formation to yuppie
Yuppie

The term yuppie refers to an 1980s and early 1990s term for financially secure, upper-middle class young people in their 20s and early 30s....
, and it had great currency in the 1970s and 1980s. The term first reached a wider audience in the 1970 film Love Story
Love Story (1970 film)

Love Story is a 1970 in film romantic drama film written by Erich Segal based on his 1970 best-seller Love Story . It was directed by Arthur Hiller....
, where Ali MacGraw
Ali MacGraw

Alice "Ali" MacGraw is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning United States actress....
's character uses it as a derisive term of endearment. The associated verb 'prep' is also is used as an abbreviation of "prepared or attended preparatory or private school." The more recent slang derivation 'prep' has taken on an often derogatory meaning, associated not with any particular race, community or schools. In slang it is specially as used by young people, 'prep' more generally denotes superficiality and preoccupation with appearance and wealth.

Definition


Preppy Fashion

In 1980, the author and private school—but not preparatory school—alumna Lisa Birnbach edited the Official Preppy Handbook
Official Preppy Handbook

The Official Preppy Handbook is a tongue-in-cheek "reference guide" edited by Lisa Birnbach and written by Carol McD. Wallace. It describes an aspect of North American culture she styles as preppy....
, a tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek

Tongue-in-cheek is a term used to refer to humor in which a statement, or an entire fictional work, is not meant to be taken seriously, but its lack of seriousness is subtle....
 guide to what she termed 'prepdom'. Though intended as satire
Satire

Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre; although, in practice, it is also found in the graphic arts and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improv...
, it is widely adhered to as a guidebook by those who embrace the latter interpretation of preppy fashion. An example of preppy attire would be a button down Oxford cloth
Oxford (cloth)

Oxford is a type of weave fabric, employed to make the fabric in oxford shirts. The Warp has two fine yarns paired together. The weft has one heavier, softly spun fill yarn, which gives the fabric a very subtle basketweave look with a silk-like and lusterous finish making it one of the most popular fabrics for a dress shirt....
 shirt, an argyle
Argyle (pattern)

The argyle pattern is made of diamonds in a diagonal checkerboard arrangement. The word is sometimes used to refer to an individual diamond in the design but more commonly refers to the overall pattern....
 sweater
Sweater

A sweater, pullover, jumper, or jersey is a relatively heavy garment intended to cover the torso and arms of the human body and usually worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt or other top....
, cuffed chinos, and boat
Boat

A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
 shoe
Shoe

A shoe is an item of footwear evolved at first to protect the human foot and later, additionally, as an item of decoration in itself. The foot contains more bones than any other single part of the human body, and has human evolution over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain and climate....
s.

In Popular culture


  • On the sitcom Saved by the Bell
    Saved by the Bell

    Saved by the Bell is an United States teen drama that originally aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later retroactive continuity into the history of Saved by the Bell....
    , the character A.C. Slater, played by Mario Lopez
    Mario López

    Mario L?pez, Jr. is an United States actor who has appeared on several television series, in films and on Broadway theatre. He is best-known for his portrayal of the character Saved by the Bell#Albert Clifford "A.C." Slater on Saved By The Bell....
    , would often refer to Zack Morris
    Zack Morris

    Zachary "Zack" Morris is a fictional character from the situation comedy Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell, and Saved by the Bell: The College Years....
    , played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar
    Mark-Paul Gosselaar

    Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar is an United States actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Zack Morris on NBC's Saved by the Bell, detective John Clark, Jr....
    , as "Preppy".


See also

  • Ivy League
    Ivy League

    The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of university in the Northeastern United States. The term is most commonly used to refer to those eight schools considered as a group....
  • Prep School
    University-preparatory school

    A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary education, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education....


External links