| nice-nellyism |
| Definition:
Excessive prudishness in speech. Note: Language that is marked by the excessive use of euphemism is called nice-nelly language. |
| Example: She fainted when I asked her if she wanted some chicken breast. |
| Etymology: The term derives from the name Nice Nelly, which in the 1930s denoted the stereotypical prudish woman. Both the term and prudishness itself have become obsolete. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The term's first OED citation is from 1936: "Perhaps, it is true, as charged that the British press is displaying a brand of Nice Nellyism in refusing to mention the subject [sc. the divorce of Mrs Simpson, later Duchess of Windsor]." (New Republic 28 Oct. 337/1) |