English Reference
Idiom idiom

prim and proper


prudish, straight-laced

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

She always acts so prim and proper at dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

He wore a stiff suit and acted prim and proper to impress his new boss.

COMPLEX

Despite the wild atmosphere of the party, she remained prim and proper, refusing to loosen her collar or join the dancing.


Last updated August 10, 2026