little pressie
- noun
- UK
:
regalito
- She gave her friend a little pressie to cheer her up after a tough week.
Examples
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At the end of the party, each child went home with a little pressie.
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He was delighted to find a little pressie waiting for him on his desk.
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I bought her a little pressie for her birthday.
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He received a little pressie from his aunt.
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She gave her friend a little pressie to cheer her up after a tough week.
-
At the end of the party, each child went home with a little pressie.
-
He was delighted to find a little pressie waiting for him on his desk.
Synonyms
29
2.7
A small treat given to someone as a reward
7
2.7
A small gift, often candy or a toy, that people put in a Christmas stocking
4
1.6
A small treat given to enjoy or as a reward
2
6.9
A small bunch of flowers given as a gift
1
9.9
A small free gift given to a customer when they buy something
1
9.3
A small bunch of flowers given as a gift
How Small
Surface Forms
Morphology
little + pressie
The meaning 'small gift' is directly and transparently derived from 'little' (small) modifying 'pressie', where 'pressie' is a colloquial/diminutive form of 'present' meaning 'gift' even if it is not listed in the provided dictionary entry. This compositional pattern (diminutive/colloquial noun + size modifier) is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The phrase little pressie comes from children and family talk. Pressie is a cuter, shorter form of present, made by adding the sound 'ie', so little pressie means a 'small gift'.