nelly
nelly Lexical Profile
nelly Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A foolish, silly, timid, or overly anxious person (especially in the phrase 'nervous nelly').
"Don't be such a nervous nelly; the bridge is completely safe to cross."
A giant petrel (genus Macronectes), a large seabird of the southern oceans having dark plumage and a heavy hooked bill.
"The sailors watched a giant nelly gliding effortlessly over the rough waves of the Southern Ocean."
An effeminate man, especially an overtly effeminate gay man (often derogatory slang).
"The older novel contained dated slang terms like nelly that are rarely used in polite conversation today."
• adjective
Overtly effeminate, camp, or timid in manner (often used disparagingly in slang).
"The actor gave a deliberately camp and nelly performance in the comedic play."
Word Nuance & Usage
Most commonly encountered in British idioms such as 'nervous nelly' (an overly anxious person) or 'not on your nelly' (meaning 'certainly not', from rhyming slang 'Nelly Duff' for 'puff', meaning breath or life). In slang, the noun and adjective senses referring to effeminacy are often derogatory.
• Rhymes for nelly
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the female given name Nelly (a pet form of Helen, Eleanor, or Ellen), used generically in colloquial expressions since the 19th century.