This week’s theme
Terms formed from names

This week’s words
Hooray Henry
nervous Nelly
flash Harry
Aunt Sally
good-time Charlie

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(nuhr-vuhs NEL-ee)

MEANING:

noun: One who is unusually nervous, timid, or fearful.

ETYMOLOGY:

From nervous, from nervus (nerve) + Nelly/Nellie, a female given name. Earliest documented use: 1925.

NOTES:

The identity of the original Nelly is unknown, but it may have originated in horse racing circles, where it was a common name for horses, or it may have been chosen for its alliteration with “nervous”. Also see nice nelly.

USAGE:

“McPhee countered: ‘He is a bit of a nervous nelly. He’s a helicopter dad. He’s not adventurous at all.’”
Jon Bream; Are Foster and McPhee Sonny & Cher of Ballads?; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); May 1, 2024.

“‘I was nervous,’ Nelly said.”
Olivia Reiner; Nelly Korda Wins Women’s Golf Tournament; USA Today (Arlington, Virginia); Aug 7, 2021.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: