nice nelly

[ nel-ee ]

/ ˈnɛl i /

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a person who professes or exhibits excessive modesty, prudishness, or the like: too much of a nice nelly to have any fun.

QUIZZES

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Question 1 of 12

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

nice-nelly

[ nahys-nel-ee ]

/ ˈnaɪsˈnɛl i /

characterized by prudishness or excessive modesty: The entrance of his nice-nelly friend stopped the flow of risqué stories.

being a euphemism; euphemistic: nice-nelly expressions.

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

From there we took the train to Nice, France, but the French border control caught us and sent us back to Italy.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Another beautiful Eminor number, with a nice shift up to the major for the chorus.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Champagne, which is also acidic, offers a nice complement to anything from tuna tartare to beef bourguignon.
Champagne: You’re Drinking It All Wrong|Kayleigh Kulp|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And there are a few nice things buried beneath the rubble that I could use in my apartment.
I’m a Digital Hoarder|Lizzie Crocker|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It was also nice to have a place where my family and friends could see what was going on in my life.
Blogger Shares and Shames Cancer in ‘Lily’|Amy Grantham|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is more of artfulness in the flatteries which appear to involve a calculating intention to say the nice agreeable thing.
Children's Ways|James Sully
I don't care, it ain't nice, and I wonder aunt brought us to such a place.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
And right after that, some nice sour milk would come splashing down into the trough of the pen.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
The boy backed away from him, and stood a little distance off, holding out a nice, juicy potato this time.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
"I don't think that is a very nice taste," said Davy, beginning to feel very uneasy.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl