niminy-piminy

[ nim-uh-nee-pim-uh-nee ]
/ ˈnɪm ə niˈpɪm ə ni /

adjective

affectedly delicate or refined; mincing; effeminate: A niminy-piminy shyness makes frankness impossible.

Origin of niminy-piminy

1795–1805; rhyming compound; cf. namby-pamby

OTHER WORDS FROM niminy-piminy

nim·i·ny-pim·i·ni·ness, noun nim·i·ny-pim·i·ny·ism, noun

Words nearby niminy-piminy

Example sentences from the Web for niminy-piminy

British Dictionary definitions for niminy-piminy

niminy-piminy
/ (ˈnɪmɪnɪˈpɪmɪnɪ) /

adjective

excessively refined; prim

Word Origin for niminy-piminy

C19: imitative of a prim affected enunciation