nervous Nellie

noun

Informal.

1. a constantly nervous, worried, or timid person.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nervous Nellie¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Idioms and Phrases

An unduly timid or anxious person, as in He's a real nervous Nellie, calling the doctor about every little symptom. This term does not allude to a particular person named Nellie; rather, the name was probably chosen for the sake of alliteration. [Colloquial; c. 1920]