Dear Gentle People
How'sago'n. That is Montana lingo and
I guess it's one of those things that you
have to be here to understand.
Then there is "ninny." That is a word from my childhood.
I still say, "Don't be a ninny." Most people don't know what
I mean so I wonder if the term is still used. It means a
"foolish person." Know any "ninnies?"
All this politically correct stuff has me completely baffled.
You go and use a certain word for 85 years and then have
someone tell you that you have to replace it with another
word OR you are a NINNY.
Take the word "retarded." That was the legal term for a
person with a low IQ .....way back when I was a psychiatric
nurse. I guess one never uses that word anymore or it's
Ninny Time again.
There is one word that has changed meaning completely
and for that, I could cry. Most of my fond memories of
nursery rhymes included a cat...... an adorable pussy cat.
Now the meaning of pussy is mostly a slang term for a
part of the female anatomy, a word that brings on
snickers and gaffs. No matter, I still call my cat Puss
or Pussy. So there.
Thank you Donald Trump, for bringing political
correctness to the fore. You are making the hard-core
political-correctees look like a bunch of NINNIES.
I think that is one of the things that has people liking "The Donald", he doesn't back off and apologize for every little word that someone finds offensive. That same trait will also be his undoing eventually, Picking on Carly's looks may be an example, but it is refreshing to hear him scoff at political correctness.
ReplyDeleteI am personally tired of walking on eggshells over my choice of words.
Joeh
DeleteYou're right. Picking on someone's looks is a "no no" and it certainly makes the picker look like a "ninny.
Yeh, me too. If we had as much money as the Donald, we could say whatever we blasted please. Money talks.
I don't use "Ninny" but i remember being called one by my Aunts and
ReplyDeleteUncles.
joeh
Deletehahaha That word used to be used a lot and it really didn't have a horrible meaning but I guess I was one much of the time when I was young. LOL
I don't remember hearing "Ninny" but some of the older written stories that I read when I was a kid had characters saying it about others. Always made me think of a horse neighing. I went and looked up the origin just now. The first time seen in print was during Queen Elizabeth I's time. Wowza. A word used before that was ninnyhammer. Now, that's a good one.
ReplyDeleteSusie
DeleteThanks for looking it up. I also got to thinking about the word
"nincompoop." A simpleton who asks a lot of questions. Kinda close. The origin surprised me. Prob from the Pharisees and from Nicodemus who kept asking questions of Jesus.
I have used ninny as a kid, not for a long time though. Been called one a couple times too lol all the pc crap can bite me, won't conform at my sea.
ReplyDeletePat
DeleteIt seems as if one learns so much throughout life and when one gets old (like me) and looks back at youth, well, I realize that I was a complete ninny when I was young.
But on the other hand, you, dear Pat, are the most mature young person I have ever known. Also your knowledge is vast. A lot more so than what most American kids know. (It's OK if the head swells a little because what I say is true.) :)
lol the head shall swell a bit
DeleteMy grandparents used to use the word, 'ninny.' Back in my day 'thong' meant flip-flop. Today it means butt floss... I mean swimming suit. :)
ReplyDeleteRosie
DeleteThis reminds me of something that really makes me laugh. Marilyn, my friend of 55 years, sent me this b/d. It showed the backside of a line of girls in thongs at the beach and the caption said Thong Contest.....only there was one girl with a flip-flop stuck in her butt. Have you seen that card? It really cracked me
up. (Pun intended) LOL
Your pun cracked me up. :)
DeleteHi Manzanita .. I remember using Ninny .. just as a joke .. and laughing as we said - not in serious stupidity ... it's interesting how meanings change ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHilary
DeleteNo, it wasn't a horribly terrible thing to call someone a Ninny. It was more like good-natured teasing. Thanks for dropping by. I hope all goes well with you.
If it makes you feel any better, I still use the word ninny. The way I see it, it's a perfectly good one. It's worked this long, so why change it? And it's certainly a lot less offensive than some of the foul language some people use these days.
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful book of children's poems when I was a child, and in one poem, the word "heinie" is continually used as an endearment. I thought it was giggle-worthy then, and I still do.
Susan
DeleteYes, it does make me feel better. It felt a little lonely being the only one using Ninny. Ha Would nincomoop be a step beyond ninny? I think of Ninny as affectionale teasing with just a hint of being a nincompoop.
I do recall hearing the word heinie a lot. I did think of it as a German word for the bum but used in a kind of a loving way.
Is that the same word that the buzzed haircuts of guys were?
Am I just discovering something right now, after all these years.
If heinie meant round bum and the haircut was a round bald shape ..... of course. Again, I thought that since it was during the war and most German soldiers had their hair shaved, the
why's of the name. I don't know.... grasping for straws, I think. lol
Yep, we used ninny too. These days one has to think twice, because these days everything is offensive:) People are so uptight these days:)
ReplyDeleteMurees
DeleteYou're right. It seems as if they took all the good words and put a salacious meaning to it. It just ain't nice. lol
How about "Indian giver"? This one surprised me--Hip hip hooray:
ReplyDeleteThis comes from the German "hep hep," which was originally a shepherds' herding cry, so the origin itself was not racially charged. However, during the Holocaust, German citizens began using it as a rallying cry while hunting for Jewish people in the ghettos. Its anti-Semitic usage even dates back to the 1819 riots (the "Hep-Hep Riots").
Fishducky
DeleteI guess we aren't supposed to mention and specific
group of people in our language.
Interesting story about the German Hep Hep. I never knew that.
I thought the bulk of German people didn't know what was going on but how could they help but know. Probably too scared to admit it.
ReplyDeleteNinny was part of my language growing up also. Nincompoop was for when we wanted to be really scathing.
Patti
DeleteYeah, nincompoop was a layer deeper into the insults.
"Don't be a ninny," was certainly used in Nova Scotia when I was a kid! Or "Don't be such a ninny!" My husband and I drove through Montana in July on our way from Calgary to Denver. It is such magnificent country! I'm sick to death of political correctness! People need to get over themselves and laugh more! Have a good one!
ReplyDeleteFundy Blue
DeleteI didn't know you grew up in Nova Scotia too.... like Pat. Maybe I did, now that I think about it...... from the posts you wrote about your father. It just seems so silly, changing the names of ball teams and candy bars. I heard they wanted to eliminate the words girl and boy. That is the most neurotic thing I've ever heard. What would you say, "Hey you, non-gendered person."
I know a few ninnys (ninnies?) and sometimes, more often than I'd like, I'm a ninny myself. It's not as common out here though, even in the past, our term was drongo. I still use retarded, I know I should say mentally challenged, and my neighbour P who is almost 70, always says pussy for cat, tells me "did you know your pussy is outside?" I don't think anyone younger says it though.
ReplyDeleteRiver
DeleteI never heard drongo. I'll have to remember that one.
I imagine if you think of Pussy as younger people do, you have to giggle when the neighbor asks that question. I just did and I don't even have that association. LOL
I've used the word ninny through out life. Some words stick, even when they change meaning.
ReplyDeleteHG
DeleteYeah I know what you mean. I guess it has stuck with me too.
It's a great word to use when you are slightly disgusted with someone and yet you are not really reading them out. LOL
Well since ninny is worn out and I do know what it means I'll go to another subject you mentioned. I still use mentally retarded and I earned it, taking my deceased husband's younger brother to his appointments and to buy groceries. He weighed almost 300 #'s and was mentally retarded so you can imagine the laughs and remarks we put up with. Mentally retarded and mentally challenged are both bad and what is the difference what you call it. I liked this post, thanks.
ReplyDeletePaula
DeleteThat whole deal must have been a "challenge" for you. Touring a 300 lb retarded person around could be very complicated. One of my daughters used to be a sponsor for two retarded young men. She liked me to go along when shopping because they were quite a handful so I know what you must have gone through.
Let's put the PC Brigade on a plane to Siberia. How's that for a plan? I adore pussies. (Are you snickering yet?) I have two. (Now it becomes complicated.) Mongo and Pebbles. Mongo is a cat who is really a pussy and Pebbles is a pussy but then as in a female cat.
ReplyDeleteOh I'd better be careful. You like to keep your blog respectable. ; )
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Such a fun day!
Blue Man
DeleteI didn't know you had two cats. Yes I did snicker but I do like to keep my blog respectable. Mongo and Pebbles. Now my curiosity is all stirred up. I always wonder how names come about. Wouldn't it be interesting if we could find out how every name of everything came about? For instance, we could ask Mr. Ford. Nyuk, nyuk
Mongo thinks he's Batman and Pebbles firmly believes she's an opera singer. How weird is that?
DeleteYes, it would be interesting. I know why I'm called Blue by my friends. Some call me Grandpa....
Actually, I heard the word 'ninny' being used in Illinois when I moved there. Don't hear it in Hawaii. Then again, I'm sure there's a lot of words from here that would cause problems for a mainlander.
ReplyDeleteKay,
DeleteOh yes, Hawaii has wonderful words and they are all said in the sunshine. I think. Ninnie will be remembered by all of us. LOL
I'm aware of the meaning of "ninny." ha!
ReplyDeleteAs for The Donald... I like the fact that he's bringing the absurdity of PC-ness to the fore. However, I really dislike the man. Classic narcissist woman hater with billionaire syndrome. Anyone who can't see that he is well aware of the International Bankers and their agenda (and is very likely promoting it for his own benefit)... I suppose people see what they want to see.
Robin
ReplyDeleteI dislike narcissists to beyond the extreme BUT I am much more sick of the boring politicians. It's hard to believe he would really make it all the way because he would upset "their" applecart. On the other hand, I would say all great leaders are narcissists. Would I ever say that all people who run for president are narcissists? I don't know....perhaps I would. What do you think?
I've heard of the word ninny and know its meaning, though I live far from Montana!
ReplyDeleteRomance Book Haven
DeleteI think the word Ninny was used extensively throughout English speaking people
Nice to hear from you. Do you have new books for us today
I can vaguely remember that word and in the same context. A nicer word than 'idiot'.
ReplyDeleteHello Denise and a cheery good morning to you.
DeleteAre you going to settle down for the winter in a
warm climate?
Yes, I feel Ninny has a softer connotation.... almost
playful or clown-like. It's really a great word.
Yes, I can also remember, maybe from TV shows? Or from books.
ReplyDeleteRomance Reader
DeleteNinny, ninny, ninny.....that word kinda sticks in the mind.
I'm happy that word was or maybe still is, around somewhat.
I'm happy Romance is still around too. lol
Ha!!! Haven't heard Ninny in a very long time!! We aren't Ninnies....
ReplyDelete