archness

[ ahrch-nis ]

/ ˈɑrtʃ nɪs /

roguishness; sauciness.

Origin of archness

First recorded in 1700–10; arch² + -ness

Archness became this lady of the sunny hair, tip-tilted nose, and complexion that outvied the apple-blossoms.

Mistress Wilding |Rafael Sabatini
There was something half painful in their jocund gayety and archness.

Lippincott's Magazine, September, 1885 |Various
Sally May was a delicious Mrs. Bennet—her archness, her querulousness, and above all her talkativeness.

Judy of York Hill |Ethel Hume Patterson Bennett
My cousin caught all the archness full in the face, and for four seconds he stared at Mrs. Bunting in amazement.

The Sea Lady |Herbert George Wells

The word is used colloquially for archness, as well as for notoriously bad characters.

The Sailor's Word-Book |William Henry Smyth