In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
NICETY
justness, rightness, nicety
(noun) conformity with some esthetic standard of correctness or propriety; “it was performed with justness and beauty”
nuance, nicety, shade, subtlety, refinement
(noun) a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; “without understanding the finer nuances you can’t enjoy the humor”; “don’t argue about shades of meaning”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
nicety (countable and uncountable, plural niceties)
A small detail or distinction.
Subtlety or precision of use.
Delicacy of character or feeling usually from excessive refinement; fastidiousness
(obsolete) That which is delicate to the taste.
Source: Wiktionary
Ni"ce*ty, n.; pl. Niceties. Etym: [OE. niceté foolishness.]
1. The quality or state of being nice (in any of the senses of that word.). The miller smiled of her nicety. Chaucer.
2. Delicacy or exactness of perception; minuteness of observation or of discrimination; precision.
3. A delicate expression, act, mode of treatment, distinction, or the like; a minute distinction. The fineness and niceties of words. Locke. To a nicety, with great exactness or accuracy.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
3 April 2025
WHOLE
(noun) an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; “how big is that part compared to the whole?”; “the team is a unit”
Coffee Trivia
