nice-Nellyism en · NOUN
Etymology
From nice Nelly + -ism.
Meanings
- (uncountable, usually) Prudishness or excessive modesty.
-
(countable) A euphemism; an act or expression of prudishness or excessive modesty.
He was a co-founder of the Indianapolis Chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. ¶ His obituary in the Indianapolis Star said that he himself was not an alcoholic. ¶ This denial was at least partly a nice-Nellyism from the past, I think.
1976, Kurt Vonnegut, Slapstick, Delacorte Press, Prologue, p. 8:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| nice-Nellyisms | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| nice-nellyism | alternative | lexicographic |