- nice-nel
- nice-nel·ly·ism;
English syllables. 2014.
nice-nel
Look at other dictionaries:
nice´-Nel´ly — nice Nelly or nice Nellie, plural nice Nellies. Slang. a person who is overly modest or prudish: »By 1916, Dreiser was the hero of the avant garde and the pet peeve of the nice Nellies, who denounced “The Genius” as literary sewage and got it… … Useful english dictionary
nice´-Nel´lie — nice Nelly or nice Nellie, plural nice Nellies. Slang. a person who is overly modest or prudish: »By 1916, Dreiser was the hero of the avant garde and the pet peeve of the nice Nellies, who denounced “The Genius” as literary sewage and got it… … Useful english dictionary
nice-Nel|ly|ism — «NYS NEHL ee ihz uhm», noun. 1. extreme modesty or prudishness: »Nice Nellyism seldom wins elections in this country (Time). 2. circumlocution; euphemism: »Mr. Pyles attributes much of the nice Nellyism that blighted polite speech and writing… … Useful english dictionary
nice nelly — nice′ nel′ly (or Nel′ly) [[t]ˈnɛl i[/t]] n. a person who professes or exhibits excessive modesty, prudishness, or the like • Etymology: 1925–30 nice′ nel′ly, nice′ Nel′ly, adj … From formal English to slang
nice-nellyism — nice nel•ly•ism or nice′ Nel′ly•ism [[t]ˈnaɪsˈnɛl iˌɪz əm[/t]] n. 1) excessive modesty; prudishness 2) a euphemism: timid writing, full of nice nellyisms[/ex] • Etymology: 1935–40 … From formal English to slang
nice-nellyism — nice nel·ly·ism … English syllables
nice nelly — noun or nice nellie ˈ ̷ ̷ˈnelē Usage: usually capitalized 2d N Etymology: probably from nice (I) + Nelly, Nellie, the name 1. : prude I m no nice Nelly Ethel Merman … Useful english dictionary
nice nellie — noun see nice nelly * * * nice Nelly or nice Nellie, plural nice Nellies. Slang. a person who is overly modest or prudish: »By 1916, Dreiser was the hero of the avant garde and the pet peeve of the nice Nellies, who denounced “The Genius” as… … Useful english dictionary
nice nelly — /nel ee/ 1. a person who professes or exhibits excessive modesty, prudishness, or the like: too much of a nice nelly to have any fun. 2. nice nellyism (def. 2). Also, nice Nelly. * * * … Universalium
nice-nelly — adjective or nice nellie ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ Usage: often capitalized 2d N Etymology: nice Nelly or nice Nellie : overly delicate : prudish, euphemistic … Useful english dictionary
