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nervous nellie

 - 4 dictionary results

nervous Nellie

 
Use nervous nellie in a Sentence
–noun Informal.
a constantly nervous, worried, or timid person.
Origin:
1925–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To nervous nellie
nervous Nel·lie or nervous Nel·ly   (něl'ē)   
n.   pl. nervous Nel·lies Informal
An unduly timid or anxious person.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Financial Dictionary

Nervous Nellie

An investor who isn't comfortable with investing and the risks associated with it.

Investopedia Commentary

If a nervous nellie ever does decide to invest, he or she is likely to liquidate the investment at any time.

See also: One Night Stand, Panic Selling, Risk

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

nervous Nellie

An unduly timid or anxious person, as in He's a real nervous Nellie, calling the doctor about every little symptom. This term does not allude to a particular person named Nellie; rather, the name was probably chosen for the sake of alliteration. [Colloquial; c. 1920]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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