dandy
Part of speech: noun
adj
Morphological type: simple
Topics: nautical
rail-transport
railways
transport
Etymology: Borrowed from Scots dandy (“a fop; one who is well-dressed”). Of uncertain origin.
Possibly from Dandy, a diminutive of Andrew, yet the Scots word is used also in reference to women. Alternatively, possibly a back-formation of Scots dandilly, dandillie (“one who is spoiled or pampered; a "pet"”). Compare English dandle and dander.
Inflected forms:
form: dandies
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: dandier
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: dandiest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
Senses:
gloss: A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.
pos: noun
examples: The gallant young Indian dandy at home on furlough — immense dandies these — chained and moustached — driving in tearing cabs, the pillars of the theatres, living at West End Hotels, — […]
No town-bred dandy will compare with a country-bred one—I mean a downright bumpkin dandy–a fellow that, in the dog-days, will mow his two acres in buckskin gloves for fear of tanning his hands.
“Gerald Croft is an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred young man-about-town.”
gloss: Something excellent in its class.
pos: noun
gloss: A yawl, or a small after-sail on a yawl.
pos: noun
tags: UK
gloss: A dandy roller.
pos: noun
gloss: A small glass of whisky.
pos: noun
tags: Ireland
UK
archaic
slang
examples: Somebody quite as notorious as Brummell, but whose follies have been far more mischievous; whose eloquence is great, but certainly not always refined; and to whose health many a dandy of whisky has been tossed off.
gloss: A horse-drawn railway carriage used on some branch lines.
pos: noun
tags: historical
examples: Other notable instances of horse-drawn vehicles for passenger services were the dandies used on the two-mile branch to Inchture of the Perth-Dundee line of the Caledonian Railway […], and the 2½-mile branch of the North British Railway from Drumburgh to Port Carlisle. […] One of the Port Carlisle dandies was preserved at Waverley Station, Edinburgh, for several years, but is now in the Railway Museum at York.
gloss: Like a dandy, foppish.
pos: adj
gloss: Very good; better than expected but not as good as could be.
pos: adj
examples: That's all fine and dandy, but how much does it cost?
gloss: Excellent; first-rate.
pos: adj
examples: What a dandy little laptop you have.
Grip Sures are dandy shoes for anything that comes along. Hiking, climbing, canoeing, around camp or in the gym — you can't have anything better.
Its gonna be just dandy / The day I take my Candy / And make him mine all mine
A perfectly dandy cartoon feature, “The Jungle Book,” scooted into local theaters yesterday just ahead of the big day, and it's ideal for the children.
Synonyms: barbermonger
beau
blade
blood
buck
carpet knight
cockscomb
dandy
dike
dood
dude
dudelet
exquisite
fashionable
fast man
fine gentleman
fop
foretop
fribble
gallant
go
jack-a-dandy
Jemmy-Jessamy
jetter
macaroni
masher
metrosexual
mignon
petit maître
popinjay
pretty boy
prig
puss-gentleman
smart
spark
spiff
swell
tippy
toff
Antonyms: puritan
untidy person
Related words: boulevardier
man about town
beautiful man
flirt
sensualist
foppish
idler
Derived words: dandily
dandiness
dandy as candy
dandy-horse
dandy horse
dandy roll
dandy-roll
dandy-roller
dandy shandy
dandy stick
dandy up
fine and dandy
fine and dandy like sour candy
handy dandy
handy-dandy
jack-a-dandy
jim dandy
jim-dandy
Translations: