Etymology dictionary. 2014.
Namby Pamby — is a term for affected, weak, and maudlin speech/verse. However, its origins are in Namby Pamby (1725), by Henry Carey. Carey wrote the poem as a satire of Ambrose Philips and published it in his Poems on Several Occasions. Its first publication… … Wikipedia
namby-pamby — namby pambiness, namby pambyism, n. namby pambyish, adj. /nam bee pam bee/, adj., n., pl. namby pambies for 4. adj. 1. without firm methods or policy; weak or indecisive: namby pamby handling of juvenile offenders. 2. lacking in character,… … Universalium
namby-pamby — [nam′bē pam′bē] adj. [orig. satirical nickname of Ambrose Philips, 18th c. Eng poet: in ridicule of his sentimental pastorals] 1. weakly sentimental; insipid 2. without vigor 3. wishy washy n. 1. namby pamby talk 2. pl. namby pambie … English World dictionary
namby-pamby — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ lacking courage or vigour; feeble. ► NOUN (pl. namby pambies) ▪ a namby pamby person. ORIGIN fanciful formation from the name of Ambrose Philips (1674 1749), an English pastoral poet ridiculed for his insipid verse … English terms dictionary
Namby-pamby — Nam by pam by, a. 1. Affectedly pretty; weakly sentimental; finical; insipid. Thackeray. [1913 Webster] Namby pamby madrigals of love. W. Gifford. [1913 Webster] 2. Indecisive or weak; lacking firmness or resolve; of actions and policies. [PJC] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Namby-pamby — Nam by pam by, n. [From Ambrose Phillips, in ridicule of the extreme simplicity of some of his verses.] Talk or writing which is weakly sentimental or affectedly pretty. Macaulay. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
namby-pamby — [n] pansy baby*, caitiff, chicken*, chicken heart*, chicken liver*, coward, cry baby, fraidy cat*, jellyfish*, lily liver, milksop, momma’s boy*, pantywaist, quitter, scaredy cat*, sissy*, weakling, wimp, wuss*, wussy*, yellow, yellow belly*;… … New thesaurus
namby-pamby — nam·by pam·by (năm′bē păm’bē) adj. 1) Weak, sentimental, or unrealistic: » life as it was really lived, you know, not as described in namby pamby self help books (Megan Hustad). 2) Lacking vigor or decisiveness; weak or spineless: »accused by… … Word Histories
namby-pamby — /næmbi ˈpæmbi/ (say nambee pambee) adjective 1. weakly simple or sentimental; insipid. –noun (plural namby pambies) 2. namby pamby verse or prose. 3. a namby pamby person: *the period which had turned him into a wild one had made me something of… …
namby-pamby — nam•by pam•by [[t]ˈnæm biˈpæm bi[/t]] adj. n. pl. bies 1) lacking decisiveness; irresolute: namby pamby opinions[/ex] 2) weakly sentimental; insipid: namby pamby poetry[/ex] 3) a namby pamby person or thing • Etymology: 1726; rhyming compound… … From formal English to slang
