Saturday Word: Nippy Sweetie

[med_cat]

Nippy Sweetie [nip-ee SWEE-tee]
(n.)

- A bracing alcoholic potation, esp. whisky.
- A peevishly sharp-tongued person.
- A hot or sour-tasting sweet.

From “nippy” (biting, sharp) from “nip” (a pinch; a sharp bite) from German “nippen” (to pinch sharply; to bite suddenly) from Middle Low German “nipen” (to nip, to pinch) from Middle Dutch “nipen” (to pinch) which became Dutch “nijpen” from Old Norse “hnippa” (to prod)
+
“sweetie” (candy, lollipop) from “sweet” from Old English “swete” (pleasing to the senses, mind or feelings) from Proto-Germanic “swotja-” from PIE “swād-” (sweet, pleasant)

Used in a sentence:

"You should have seen the look on his face when I offered him a nippy sweetie before going home for the night!”



(from The Grandiloquent Word of the Day on FB)

Comments

[minoanmiss]

*adds to my vocabulary immediately*

[med_cat]

Isn't it a great word? Finally, a word for those cinnamon candies ;)

(and the other meanings are fun too)

[sallymn]

Me too, what a fun word/phrase!

(And I love your icon :)

[med_cat]

It is, isn't it? ;)

And thank you re: icon