Nippy
Meaning: Unpleasantly cold; also quick and agile
British slang with two meanings: 1) Cold weather that nips or bites, 2) Quick and nimble, especially of cars or people. Context makes the meaning clear.
Examples
- It's a bit nippy out there. 外面有点冷Hace un poco de fresco ahí fuera外はちょっと肌寒い밖이 좀 쌀쌀해.
- That little car is quite nippy. 那辆小车开起来挺灵活的Ese coche pequeño es bastante ágilあの小さな車はかなりキビキビしている저 작은 차는 꽤 날렵해.
- She's nippy on her feet. 她脚步很灵活Es muy ágil con los pies彼女は足が速い그녀는 발이 빨라.
Pronunciation
/ˈnɪpi/
Usage Guide
Context: weather, speed, agility
Tone: casual, descriptive
✓ Do Say
- A bit nippy有点冷Un poco fresquitoちょっと肌寒い좀 쌀쌀하네.
- Nippy little car灵活的小车Un coche pequeño y ágilキビキビした小さな車밖이 쌀쌀해.
✗ Don't Say
- Two different meanings—context matters两个不同的意思——要看语境Dos significados diferentes: el contexto importa二つの異なる意味がある——文脈が重要극심한 추위에는 사용하지 않음('freezing'이나 'bitter'가 더 적절함)
Common Mistakes
- Confusing the two meanings
Origin & History
British slang from 'nip' (to pinch or bite). Cold weather that 'nips' at you is nippy. Quick movement that darts or nips in and out is also nippy.
Etymology: From nip (pinch, bite, dart quickly)
First recorded: British dialect, standardized 20th century
Cultural Context
Era: 20th century onwards
Generation: All ages in UK
Social background: Universal
Pop culture: British weather chat; Car reviews
Regional notes: British and Australian primarily.
Variations
Related Phrases
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