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nice-nellyism

American  
[nahys-nel-ee-iz-uhm] / ˈnaɪsˈnɛl iˌɪz əm /
Or nice-Nellyism

noun

  1. excessive modesty; prudishness.

  2. a euphemism.

    an evasive style of writing, full of circumlocutions and nice-nellyisms.

Etymology

Origin of nice-nellyism

First recorded in 1935–40; nice nelly + -ism

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.

Partridge clears Charles Dickens of all responsibility for the expression "go to the dickens," a Victorian nice-nellyism for "go to the devil."

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.