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nice-nellyism
or nice-Nel·ly·ism
[ nahys-nel-ee-iz-uhm ]
/ ˈnaɪsˈnɛl iˌɪz əm /
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noun
excessive modesty; prudishness.
a euphemism: an evasive style of writing, full of circumlocutions and nice-nellyisms.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of nice-nellyism
First recorded in 1935–40; nice nelly + -ism
Words nearby nice-nellyism
nice-looking, Nicene, Nicene Council, Nicene Creed, nice nelly, nice-nellyism, Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, Nicetas, nicety, nicey-nicey, niche
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023