Word: nellyism
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Citing the poor TV ratings of both political conventions, the Providence Bulletin thought that apathy was a problem confronting the Democrats as well. "The election will be no shoo-in for the Republicans," editorialized New York's Daily News, advising against a "refined, polite, high-level campaign . . . Nice-Nellyism seldom wins elections in this country." Slapping Adlai Stevenson for his "prissy little jab at President Eisenhower's favorite game, golf," the News totted up 3,500,000 U.S. golfers and concluded: "In sneering at golf, a politician takes much the same risk as in sneering at Baseball, Baby...
Partridge clears Charles Dickens of all responsibility for the expression "go to the dickens," a Victorian nice-nellyism for "go to the devil." But Dickens' perpetually optimistic Mr. Micawber produced micawberish and the pompous Mr. Bumble lent his name to incompetence forever after. Similarly, a hangman named Derrick is immortalized in hoisting devices, French Physician Joseph Guillotin in a machine which struck him as more humane than the ax, and be-trousered Suffragette Amelia Bloomer in billowing pantalets. It is a process that has never stopped, concludes Partridge happily-from Solon, who became a synonym for lawyer...
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