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dandy

Etymology and origin of the English word dandy

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdæn.di/[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3][4] It is perhaps short for jack-a-dandy “fop” (1632),[5][6][2] and it is first found in Scotland,[2][3] where Dandy is a pet form of the name Andrew.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A man who pays exaggerated attention to elegant dress; a fop (about 1780).[7][2][3][6]

Semantic evolution

The word first appears in a Scottish border ballad[3] and was in vogue in London around 1813–1819.[3] By 1786 it could also mean anything first-rate,[3][7] and the adjective “fine, splendid” is recorded from 1785 (1792 in Barnhart and Merriam-Webster),[3][2][6] very popular around 1880–1900.[3] Later technical senses, such as a kind of sailing boat, apply the idea of something neat and trim.[7]

Timeline

  • 1632 – Jack O'Dandy.[2]
  • c1780 – a fop.[7][2][3]
  • 1784 – anything superlatively fine.[7]
  • 1792 – adjective, fine, first-rate.[2][6]
  • 1813 – adjective, like a dandy.[3]
  • 1858 – a sloop or cutter with a small mizzen sail.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A man who is excessively concerned with his clothes and appearance; a fop.
  2. (informal) Something excellent of its kind.
  3. A yawl, or the small after-sail of one.

Adjective

  1. Like a dandy; foppish.
  2. (informal) Very good; first-rate.

Word family

  • dandyish
  • dandyishly
  • dandyism
  • dandily
  • dandify
  • handy-dandy
  • jack-a-dandy
  • jim-dandy

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  6. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Dandy.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/dandy. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·