nelly
nelly — noun
1. used in the fixed spoken phrase 'not on your nelly!' to refuse something firmly
used in the fixed spoken phrase 'not on your nelly!' to refuse something firmly or to state that something will absolutely not happen.
Ari asked to borrow my car after crashing his own last week, and I said not on your nelly.
fixed expression for emphatic refusal
Not on your nelly would I pay that much for a second-hand phone.
Tanvi's flatmate asked her to cover his rent, but she said not on your nelly.
The coach told Kofi to run five extra laps for being late, but Kofi muttered not on your nelly.
Reuben's sister asked him to take the blame, and he replied not on your nelly.
- no way
more common internationally, less colourful
- not a chance
similar strength but not distinctly British
- absolutely not
neutral register, used in any variety of English
- of course
polite agreement, opposite end of the refusal scale
- by all means
formal permission, contrast with the informal refusal
文法句型
not on your nelly (fixed phrase)
用法筆記
This expression is always used in the exact fixed form 'not on your nelly' — the word 'nelly' does not appear outside this phrase. It is a colloquial British idiom and would sound odd in formal writing or American English.
常見錯誤
nelly — adjective
1. a dated and offensive slang term used to describe a man whose appearance or beha
a dated and offensive slang term used to describe a man whose appearance or behaviour is considered notably feminine.
In a 1950s classroom, a teacher called a boy nelly — a word now seen as a homophobic slur.
dated offensive term — do not use
Liam's grandfather recalled how boys in his 1950s school playground would whisper 'nelly' whenever a classmate cried after a fall.
In a 1960s factory canteen, workers whispered 'nelly' about a colleague — now deeply offensive.
In a university lecture, a professor showed a 1960s clip using 'nelly' to mock a male dancer.
文法句型
used attributively or predicatively
用法筆記
DATED AND OFFENSIVE — DO NOT USE. This sense of 'nelly' is a derogatory slur from early- to mid-20th-century British English. It is now widely recognised as homophobic and deeply insulting. Learners should be aware of the term only to avoid misunderstanding it, never to use it themselves. Modern alternatives such as 'effeminate' (neutral) or 'feminine' (neutral to positive) carry no such stigma.