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niminy-piminy

American  
[nim-uh-nee-pim-uh-nee] / ˈnɪm ə niˈpɪm ə ni /

adjective

  1. affectedly delicate or refined; mincing; effeminate.

    A niminy-piminy shyness makes frankness impossible.


niminy-piminy British  
/ ˈnɪmɪnɪˈpɪmɪnɪ /

adjective

  1. excessively refined; prim

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of niminy-piminy

1795–1805; rhyming compound; cf. namby-pamby

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You're a brave lass for all your niminy-piminy lingo.

From The Refugees by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir

Powerful bard, Gray! but a niminy-piminy creature, afraid of a petticoat and a bottle—not a man, sir, not a man!

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 20 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

She'll do the work of a half dozen niminy-piminy dolls like Leighton.

From Miss Pat at School by Ginther, Pemberton

So we’ll all have to walk just niminy-piminy till then.

From Dorothy's Travels by Schneider, S.

She had given up Beethoven and all the men of might, and had cultivated the niminy-piminy school, which is to music as sunflowers and blue china are to art.

From The Golden Calf by Braddon, M. E. (Mary Elizabeth)

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