MIMINY-PIMINY ADJ. ridiculously delicate, precise, or affected; finicky, over-refined ...1815 obs. NOUN finicky or affected writing; verbosity, prolixity ...1818 obs. INTERJECTION a meaningless expression used by children in their games ...Bk1886 Eng. dial. ETYMOLOGY an alteration of niminy-piminy (adj. mincing, affected), possibly after mim (adj. reserved or restrained in manner or behaviour especially in a contrived or priggish way) FIRST DOCUMENTED USE 1815 - see EXAMPLE below EXAMPLE "..."All the better, child - all the better," replied sir Ferdinand; "it is from the want of plain speaking that vice stalks aboard, and your miminy-piminy fears of hurting the feelings, forsooth, of a fellow who knows himself to be acting like a rascal, which brings half the jobs to Doctors' Commons..." From: Celebrity; or, the Unfortunate Choice. A Novel. - Mrs. Mary Susanna Pilkington
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