small and early
Definition
Noun (dated, informal): A small, informal social gathering held in the early part of the evening, typically a party or reception with few guests and not lasting late into the night.
Usage Examples
- (A private, early-evening party with a limited guest list.)
- (The event was modest in size and ended at a reasonable hour.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is now considered archaic or quaint, often used to evoke a sense of old-fashioned, intimate socializing.
- In Victorian novels, characters frequently attend a small and early before the main ball. (A prelude to a larger event, held early in the evening.)
- It can be used ironically to describe a deliberately modest and early gathering.
- We called it a small and early, but it turned into a raucous affair lasting until dawn. (The term is used humorously to contrast with the actual outcome.)
Variants and Related Words
- Small (adj): Limited in size, number, or scope.
- Early (adj/adv): Happening or done before the usual or expected time.
- Note: "small and early" is a fixed compound noun; no direct variants exist, but it is related to the concept of a soirée (an evening party) or at-home (a formal reception).
Synonyms
- Soirée: an elegant evening party, often with music or conversation.
- At-home: a formal social reception held at one's home, typically in the afternoon or early evening.
- Evening gathering: a general term for a social event held in the evening.
Related Idioms
- Get an early start: to begin something earlier than usual.
- Small talk: polite conversation about unimportant matters, often at social events. (While not directly synonymous, "small and early" gatherings often involve "small talk.")
Phrasal Verbs
- Wind down: to gradually end a social event.
- They wound down the small and early around ten. (They concluded the gathering gradually.)
- Break up: to end or disperse a gathering.
- The small and early broke up at midnight. (The party ended.)