nice Nelly

nice Nelly (1) or nice Nellie {n.}, {informal}

Someone who acts too good to be true; a prude; a prig.

We took him for a nice Nelly when he wouldn't fight.

Categories:

Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms

To section: N

Subscribe to: American Idioms

✉

Our RSS-channels

Show All

See as well

nice Nelly

[nice Nelly] (2) or [nice Nellie] {adj.}, {informal} Too careful not to say or do anything wrong or improper; too proper; prudish. * /Her nice Nelly behavior made her unpopular […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

Nelly

[Nelly] See: [NICE NELLY] or [NICE NELLIE], [NERVOUS NELLIE]. A Dictionary of American Idioms

Nellie

[Nellie] See: [NICE NELLY] or [NICE NELLIE], [NERVOUS NELLIE]. A Dictionary of American Idioms

nasty-nice

[nasty-nice] {adj.} Unkind in a polite way; disagreeable while pretending to be gracious. * /The bus driver has a nasty-nice way of showing his dislike./ A Dictionary of American Idioms

Recent updates

по-барабану

[по-барабану] {adv. phr.} {informal} {colloquial} {slang} {used by youth} [po-bara`banu] Not caring abt. smt. * […]

in order to

[in order to] or [so as to] {conj.} For the purpose of; to. - Used with an infinitive. * /In order to follow the buffalo, […]

nervous prostration

[nervous prostration] {n.} An illness of the mind that makes you feel very tired, worried, and bored, and that often causes […]

Yiddish curse

Leeches should drink him dry.