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English
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.
Pronunciation
Noun
dandy (plural dandies)
- A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dandy
1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 60, in Vanity Fair , London: Bradbury and Evans , published 1848, →OCLC: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, — […]
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter VI, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 68: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.
1945, J. B. Priestley, chapter I, in An Inspector Calls:“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.”
- (British, nautical) A yawl, or a small after-sail on a yawl.
- A dandy roller.
- (UK, Ireland, slang, archaic) A small glass of whisky.
1844, William Jesse, The life of George Brummell, page 57: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.
Derived terms
Descendants
Translations
man very concerned about his clothes and his appearance
- Armenian: պճնամոլ (hy) (pčnamol)
- Bulgarian: конте (konte), франт m (frant)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 纨绔子弟 (zh) (wánkùzǐdì), 花花公子 (zh) (huāhuā gōngzǐ)
- Czech: dandy m, parádník m, fintil m
- Danish: laps (da) c, modeherre c
- Finnish: keikari (fi)
- French: dandy (fr)
- German: Dandy (de) m, Pinkel (de) m
- Hindi: छैल (hi) m (chail), छैला (hi) (chailā), बाँका (hi) (bā̃kā), रंगीला (raṅgīlā)
- Irish: gaige m, scóitséir m
- Italian: damerino (it) m, bellimbusto (it) m, figurino (it) m, fighetto m, fichetto (it) m
- Japanese: 伊達男 (ja) (だておとこ, dateotoko), 伊達者 (だてしゃ, datesha)
- Korean: 멋쟁이 (ko) (meotjaeng'i)
- Latin: formaster m
- Macedonian: ко́нте n (kónte), де́нди n (déndi), ги́здавец m (gízdavec), кицош m (kicoš)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: dandy m, laps m, spradebasse m
- Polish: dandys (pl) m, dandy (pl) m, goguś (pl) m, modniś (pl) m, laluś (pl) m
- Portuguese: janota (pt) m or f, casquilho m, peralta (pt) m, peravilho m
- Russian: де́нди (ru) m (dɛ́ndi), франт (ru) m (frant), щёголь (ru) m (ščógolʹ), пижо́н (ru) m (pižón), хлыщ (ru) m (xlyšč), фат (ru) m (fat)
- Serbo-Croatian: kicoš (sh) m, dasa (sh) m
- Spanish: dandy m, dandi (es) m, gomoso (es) m, petimetre (es) m, pisaverde (es) m, lechuguino m, boquirrubio (es) m
- Ukrainian: чепурун m (čepurun)
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small after-sail on a yawl
Translations to be checked
See also
Adjective
dandy (comparative dandier, superlative dandiest)
- Like a dandy, foppish.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:foppish
- Very good; better than expected but not as good as could be.
- Synonyms: all very well, well and good
That's all fine and dandy, but how much does it cost?
- Excellent; first-rate.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:excellent
What a dandy little laptop you have.
1924, Boys' Life, page 27: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.
1945, Mack David, Alex C Kramer, Joan Whitney (lyrics and music), “Candy”, performed by Nat King Cole:Its gonna be just dandy / The day I take my Candy / And make him mine all mine
1967 December 23, “Disney ‘Jungle Book’ Arrives Just in Time”, in The New York Times, →ISSN: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.
Derived terms
Translations
very good; better than expected but not as good as could be
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English dandy.
Pronunciation
Noun
dandy m (plural dandy's, diminutive dandy'tje n)
- dandy
- Synonyms: fat, pronker
Finnish
Etymology
Borrowed from English dandy.
Pronunciation
Noun
dandy
- dandy
Declension
Further reading
French
Etymology
English dandy.
Pronunciation
Noun
dandy m (plural dandys or dandies)
- dandy
1864, Charles Baudelaire, Mon cœur mis à nu:Le dandy doit aspirer à être sublime, sans interruption. Il doit vivre et dormir devant un miroir.- The dandy must aspire to be constantly sublime. He must live and sleep in front of a mirror.
Further reading
Romanian
Alternative forms
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English dandy.
Noun
dandy m (uncountable)
- dandy
Declension
declension of dandy (singular only)
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singular
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m gender
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indefinite articulation
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definite articulation
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nominative/accusative
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(un) dandy
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dandyul
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genitive/dative
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(unui) dandy
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dandyului
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vocative
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dandyule
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Spanish
Alternative forms
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English dandy.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈdandi/
- Rhymes: -andi
- Syllabification: dan‧dy
Noun
dandy m (plural dandys)
- dandy
Usage notes
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
Further reading