Post AYNLdFZpbR0FqfBoFU by ajkandy@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by ajkandy@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #AYNGhKE3lEjDec86XA by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-08-04T03:19:33Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
On my walk tonight, I told a guy the surfboard rack on his bike was nifty.Then I wondered where "nifty" comes from. I would have guessed it was a 1940s or 1950s word, maybe something from WWII. But nope —1868.The poet who first used it said it was from "magnificat," but the OED is unconvinced. The etymology section says this origin is "unlikely."#etymology #WordNerd #nifty
(DIR) Post #AYNGqdLS2sU5Yd1efA by bodhipaksa@mastodon.scot
2023-08-04T03:21:16Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl I remember looking up the same thing last year!
(DIR) Post #AYNHP2QVIcuvBynJAm by Axomamma@mastodon.online
2023-08-04T03:27:28Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl Merriam Webster has it at 1865 - the year Lincoln was assassinated. It would be lovely to see that actual first use in a publication. Or even the second or third.https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nifty
(DIR) Post #AYNHfGMNGNMT2UbDP6 by jmccyoung@mstdn.social
2023-08-04T03:30:24Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl My favorite notebooks in high school were Nifty brand, like this: https://pin.it/4mIjkHu.
(DIR) Post #AYNLdFZpbR0FqfBoFU by ajkandy@mastodon.social
2023-08-04T04:14:51Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl Nifty (adj): having the properties of nift
(DIR) Post #AYNRCpqfEnQEFTqnA0 by crashglasshouses@tsukihi.me
2023-08-04T05:17:19Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl well isn't that the bee knees!
(DIR) Post #AYO1BkccmSjU6E48zQ by jemal@jemal.contact
2023-08-04T12:00:23Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl wait, a rack for carrying a surfboard on a bike?? How big of a bike? How small of a board?
(DIR) Post #AYOIbaEjiK8udjnPkG by nomadhacker@universeodon.com
2023-08-04T15:15:38Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl Have to admit, that’s pretty nifty ;)
(DIR) Post #AYOJkGSOiumJr3tCPg by grammargirl@zirk.us
2023-08-04T15:28:24Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@jemal Yeah, it was wild. It was a full-size surfboard and a normal-sized mountain bike. It was parallel to the bike on one side. I didn't see how he pedaled. (Between the board and bike?) It seems like it would be bad in a strong wind, but otherwise ... nifty!
(DIR) Post #AYOQ8ZBHMLk8bJqyXY by jemal@jemal.contact
2023-08-04T16:40:01Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl amazing! As a budding bike-guy I’m amazed at the things people can carry on a bike.
(DIR) Post #AYOW6vpGnJLnylA8nY by jbsegal@mastodon.sdf.org
2023-08-04T17:46:33Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl I love that OED goes on to say “although the influence of the syllable -nif-, in e.g. magnificent adj., is conceivable. Perhaps compare also natty adj.1 and thrifty adj.”
(DIR) Post #AYPyIevORyb6uVMp3w by narshada@writing.exchange
2023-08-05T10:37:32Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@grammargirl I tried looking for nifty in the etymology explorer app (♥️) but very little comes up there either. It’s a mystery.