1 With old gentlemen, a girl was pert and saucy and almost, but not quite, flirtatious, so that the old fools' vanities would be tickled.
2 This was one time when she knew she couldn't wiggle out of her punishment by sitting on his knee and being sweet and pert.
3 Seeing Gerald's puzzled hurt face, she patted his knee again and managed an imitation of the pert smile he used to love.
4 If you can't be reverent, at least don't be so pert and opinionated, now when men and women are dying.
5 As he was carried past they made pert remarks to him.
6 And serves you right," said Jane, the pert chambermaid, "if you will take their money to get drunk on.
7 The queer pert little mite gazed cheekily at Connie.
8 An odious, little, pert, unnatural, impudent girl.
9 The men appeared to her all coarse, the women all pert, everybody underbred; and she gave as little contentment as she received from introductions either to old or new acquaintance.
10 He was very pert and lively, and hopped about so close to her feet, and put his head on one side and looked at her so slyly that she asked Ben Weatherstaff a question.
11 Twice two makes four is a pert coxcomb who stands with arms akimbo barring your path and spitting.
12 He many a time spoke sternly to me about my pertness; and averred that the stab of a knife could not inflict a worse pang than he suffered at seeing his lady vexed.
13 He loved her pertness, her high spirits and the quaint sweet manner she had of showing her love for him.
14 Venn moved as if he would retire to the kitchen, when Thomasin said with pleasant pertness as she went on with some sewing, "Of course you must sit down here."
Return of the Native By Thomas HardyContext Highlight In BOOK 6: 1 The Inevitable Movement Onward