dandy

See also: Dandy

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

dandy

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdæn.di/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ændi

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Scots dandy (“a fop; one who is well-dressed”). Of uncertain origin.

Possibly from Dandy, a diminutive of Andrew, yet the Scots word is used also in reference to women. Alternatively, possibly a back-formation of Scots dandilly, dandillie (“one who is spoiled or pampered; a "pet"”). Compare English dandle and dander.

Noun

dandy (plural dandies)

1. A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dandy

   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 60, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     The gallant young Indian dandy at home on furlough — immense dandies these — chained and moustached — driving in tearing cabs, the pillars of the theatres, living at West End Hotels, — […]

   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter VI, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 68:

     No town-bred dandy will compare with a country-bred one—I mean a downright bumpkin dandy–a fellow that, in the dog-days, will mow his two acres in buckskin gloves for fear of tanning his hands.

   • 1945, J. B. Priestley, chapter I, in An Inspector Calls:

     “Gerald Croft is an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred young man-about-town.”

2. Something excellent in its class.
3. (British, nautical) A yawl, or a small after-sail on a yawl.
4. A dandy roller.
5. (UK, Ireland, slang, archaic) A small glass of whisky.
   • 1844, William Jesse, The life of George Brummell, page 57:

     Somebody quite as notorious as Brummell, but whose follies have been far more mischievous; whose eloquence is great, but certainly not always refined; and to whose health many a dandy of whisky has been tossed off.

6. (rail transport, historical) A horse-drawn railway carriage used on some branch lines.
   • 1958 February, “Notes and News: The Fintona Tram”, in Railway Magazine, pages 139-140:

     Other notable instances of horse-drawn vehicles for passenger services were the dandies used on the two-mile branch to Inchture of the Perth-Dundee line of the Caledonian Railway […] , and the 2½-mile branch of the North British Railway from Drumburgh to Port Carlisle. […] One of the Port Carlisle dandies was preserved at Waverley Station, Edinburgh, for several years, but is now in the Railway Museum at York.

Derived terms

terms derived from dandy (noun)

• apple dandy
• dandification
• dandify
• dandizette
• dandy brush
• dandy cart
• dandydom
• dandyess
• dandy fever
• dandyish
• dandyism
• dandyize
• dandy line
• dandyling
• dandy roller

Descendants

• → Dutch: dandy
• → Esperanto: dando
• → Finnish: dandy
• → French: dandy, → French: dundee
• → German: Dandy
• → Japanese: ダンディ, ダンディー
• → Limburgish: dèndie
• → Polish: dandy
• → Spanish: dandy

Translations

man very concerned about his clothes and his appearance

Armenian: պճնամոլ (hy) (pčnamol) Bulgarian: конте (konte), франт m (frant) Catalan: dandi m, gomós m, petimetre m Chinese: Mandarin: 纨绔子弟 (zh) (wánkùzǐdì), 花花公子 (zh) (huāhuā gōngzǐ) Czech: dandy m, parádník m, fintil m, hejsek (cs) m Danish: laps (da) c, modeherre c, spradebasse c Finnish: keikari (fi) French: dandy (fr) German: Dandy (de) m, Pinkel (de) m Hindi: छैल (hi) m (chail), छैला (hi) (chailā), बाँका (hi) (bā̃kā), रंगीला (raṅgīlā) Irish: gaige m, scóitséir m Italian: damerino (it) m, bellimbusto (it) m, figurino (it) m, fighetto m, fichetto (it) m Japanese: 伊達男 (ja) (だておとこ, dateotoko), 伊達者 (だてしゃ, datesha) Korean: 멋쟁이 (ko) (meotjaeng'i) Latin: formaster m Macedonian: ко́нте n (kónte), де́нди n (déndi), ги́здавец m (gízdavec), кицош m (kicoš) Norwegian: Bokmål: dandy m, laps m, spradebasse m Pannonian Rusyn: нялкош m pers (njalkoš), даса m pers (dasa) Polish: dandys (pl) m, dandy (pl) m, goguś (pl) m, modniś (pl) m, laluś (pl) m Portuguese: janota (pt) m or f, casquilho (pt) m, peralta (pt) m, peravilho m Russian: де́нди (ru) m (dɛ́ndi), франт (ru) m (frant), щёголь (ru) m (ščógolʹ), пижо́н (ru) m (pižón), хлыщ (ru) m (xlyšč), фат (ru) m (fat) Serbo-Croatian: kicoš (sh) m, dasa (sh) m Spanish: dandy m, dandi (es) m, gomoso (es) m, petimetre (es) m, pisaverde (es) m, lechuguino m, boquirrubio (es) m Turkish: züppe (tr) Ukrainian: чепурун m (čepurun)

yawl — see yawl

small after-sail on a yawl

Finnish: mesaani

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Spanish: (please verify) pijo (es) m (Spain), (please verify) pitoco m (Venezuela), (please verify) pituco (es) m (River Plate), (please verify) popis (es) (Mexico)

See also

• boulevardier
• man about town

Adjective

dandy (comparative dandier, superlative dandiest)

1. Like a dandy, foppish.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:foppish

2. Very good; better than expected but not as good as could be.

   Synonyms: all very well, well and good

   That's all fine and dandy, but how much does it cost?

3. Excellent; first-rate.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:excellent

   What a dandy little laptop you have.

   • 1924, Boys' Life, page 27:

     Grip Sures are dandy shoes for anything that comes along. Hiking, climbing, canoeing, around camp or in the gym — you can't have anything better.

   • 1945, Mack David, Alex C Kramer, Joan Whitney, “Candy”, performed by Nat King Cole:

     Its gonna be just dandy / The day I take my Candy / And make him mine all mine

   • 1967 December 23, “Disney ‘Jungle Book’ Arrives Just in Time”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     A perfectly dandy cartoon feature, “The Jungle Book,” scooted into local theaters yesterday just ahead of the big day, and it's ideal for the children.

Derived terms

• dandily
• dandiness
• dandy as candy
• dandy-horse
• dandy horse
• dandy roll
• dandy-roll
• dandy-roller
• dandy shandy
• dandy stick
• dandy up
• fine and dandy
• fine and dandy like sour candy
• handy dandy
• handy-dandy
• jack-a-dandy
• jim dandy
• jim-dandy

Translations

like a dandy

Bulgarian: контешки (bg) (konteški) Danish: lapset Finnish: keikarimainen Kurdish: Northern Kurdish: tewtew (ku) Macedonian: ко́нтешки (kónteški) Norwegian: dandy m Polish: dandysowaty (pl) Spanish: dandy

very good; better than expected but not as good as could be

Danish: storartet, glimrende Finnish: mainio (fi), erinomainen (fi) French: très bien German: prima (de), schön (de), gut (de) Italian: passabile (it) Norwegian: kjekt n, fett nok (no) n (slang) Portuguese: catita (pt) Spanish: muy bien

first-rate

Finnish: mainio (fi), erinomainen (fi) Norwegian: kjekk m, snasen m (slang), snerten m Spanish: primera clase (es)

Etymology 2

From Hindi डंडी (ḍaṇḍī, “rod, pole”), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀟𑀁𑀟𑀺𑀕𑀸 (ḍaṃḍigā), from Sanskrit दण्डिका (daṇḍikā), from दण्ड (daṇḍa) + -इका (-ikā).

Noun

dandy (plural dandies)

1. (India) A boatman, a rower. [1685]
   • 1685 January 6, William Hedges, Diary, Vol. I, p. 175:

     Our Dandees (or boatmen) boyled their rice.

2. (India) A Shaiva mendicant who carries a small rod. [1832]
   • 1862, Henry Beveridge, A Comprehensive History of India..., volume II, page 74:

     ...the Dandis, distinguished by carrying a small dand or wand...

3. (India) An open sedan chair formed by suspending a rudimentary frame or strong cloth from a pole or set of poles. [1870]
   • 1870, Constance Frederica Gordon-Cumming, Good Words, p. 135:
   • As the darkness closed in... I had to give up the attempt to use the dandy, and struggle on on foot.
   • 1888 July 2, Times, page 5:

     Major Battye and Captain Urmston joined the rear and placed the wounded man in a dandy.

Alternative forms

• dandi, dandie, dandee

Synonyms

• (open sedan chair): andor, jampan

Related terms

• dandy-wallah

Translations

Translations

Hindi: डंडी (hi) (ḍaṇḍī)

References

• “dandy | dandi, n³.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

See also

• randy-dandy (probably not etymologically related)

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English dandy.

Pronunciation

• (Netherlands) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛn.di/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: dan‧dy

Noun

dandy m (plural dandy's, diminutive dandy'tje n)

1. dandy

   Synonyms: fat, pronker

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from English dandy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdændi/, [ˈdændi]
• Rhymes: -ændi

Noun

dandy

1. dandy

Declension

Inflection of dandy (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		dandy	dandyt
genitive		dandyn	dandyjen
partitive		dandyä	dandyjä
illative		dandyyn	dandyihin
		singular	plural
nominative		dandy	dandyt
accusative	nom.	dandy	dandyt
	gen.	dandyn
genitive		dandyn	dandyjen
partitive		dandyä	dandyjä
inessive		dandyssä	dandyissä
elative		dandystä	dandyistä
illative		dandyyn	dandyihin
adessive		dandyllä	dandyillä
ablative		dandyltä	dandyiltä
allative		dandylle	dandyille
essive		dandynä	dandyinä
translative		dandyksi	dandyiksi
abessive		dandyttä	dandyittä
instructive		—	dandyin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of dandy (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dandyni dandyni accusative nom. dandyni dandyni gen. dandyni genitive dandyni dandyjeni partitive dandyäni dandyjäni inessive dandyssäni dandyissäni elative dandystäni dandyistäni illative dandyyni dandyihini adessive dandylläni dandyilläni ablative dandyltäni dandyiltäni allative dandylleni dandyilleni essive dandynäni dandyinäni translative dandykseni dandyikseni abessive dandyttäni dandyittäni instructive — — comitative — dandyineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dandysi dandysi accusative nom. dandysi dandysi gen. dandysi genitive dandysi dandyjesi partitive dandyäsi dandyjäsi inessive dandyssäsi dandyissäsi elative dandystäsi dandyistäsi illative dandyysi dandyihisi adessive dandylläsi dandyilläsi ablative dandyltäsi dandyiltäsi allative dandyllesi dandyillesi essive dandynäsi dandyinäsi translative dandyksesi dandyiksesi abessive dandyttäsi dandyittäsi instructive — — comitative — dandyinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dandymme dandymme accusative nom. dandymme dandymme gen. dandymme genitive dandymme dandyjemme partitive dandyämme dandyjämme inessive dandyssämme dandyissämme elative dandystämme dandyistämme illative dandyymme dandyihimme adessive dandyllämme dandyillämme ablative dandyltämme dandyiltämme allative dandyllemme dandyillemme essive dandynämme dandyinämme translative dandyksemme dandyiksemme abessive dandyttämme dandyittämme instructive — — comitative — dandyinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dandynne dandynne accusative nom. dandynne dandynne gen. dandynne genitive dandynne dandyjenne partitive dandyänne dandyjänne inessive dandyssänne dandyissänne elative dandystänne dandyistänne illative dandyynne dandyihinne adessive dandyllänne dandyillänne ablative dandyltänne dandyiltänne allative dandyllenne dandyillenne essive dandynänne dandyinänne translative dandyksenne dandyiksenne abessive dandyttänne dandyittänne instructive — — comitative — dandyinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative dandynsä dandynsä accusative nom. dandynsä dandynsä gen. dandynsä genitive dandynsä dandyjensä partitive dandyään dandyänsä dandyjään dandyjänsä inessive dandyssään dandyssänsä dandyissään dandyissänsä elative dandystään dandystänsä dandyistään dandyistänsä illative dandyynsä dandyihinsä adessive dandyllään dandyllänsä dandyillään dandyillänsä ablative dandyltään dandyltänsä dandyiltään dandyiltänsä allative dandylleen dandyllensä dandyilleen dandyillensä essive dandynään dandynänsä dandyinään dandyinänsä translative dandykseen dandyksensä dandyikseen dandyiksensä abessive dandyttään dandyttänsä dandyittään dandyittänsä instructive — — comitative — dandyineen dandyinensä

Further reading

• “dandy”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Etymology

English dandy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɑ̃.di/

Noun

dandy m (plural dandys or dandies)

1. dandy
   • 1864, Charles Baudelaire, Mon cœur mis à nu:

     Le dandy doit aspirer à être sublime, sans interruption. Il doit vivre et dormir devant un miroir.

     The dandy must aspire to be constantly sublime. He must live and sleep in front of a mirror.

Further reading

• “dandy”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Romanian

Alternative forms

• dandy

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English dandy.

Noun

dandy m (uncountable)

1. dandy

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	dandy	dandyul
genitive-dative	dandy	dandyului
vocative	dandyule

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdandi]

Noun

dandy m pers

1. dandy

Declension

Declension of dandy
(pattern kuli)

	singular	plural
nominative	dandy	dandyovia
genitive	dandyho	dandyov
dative	dandymu	dandyom
accusative	dandyho	dandyov
locative	dandym	dandyoch
instrumental	dandym	dandyami

Further reading

• “dandy”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Spanish

Alternative forms

• dandi

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English dandy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdandi/ [ˈd̪ãn̪.d̪i]
• Rhymes: -andi
• Syllabification: dan‧dy

Noun

dandy m (plural dandys)

1. dandy

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “dandi”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024