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   Nam·by-pam·by

   /ˌnambēˈpambē/

   

   adjective

   • 1. lacking energy, strength, or courage; feeble, timid, or ineffectual: "these weren't namby-pamby fights, but brutal affairs where heads hit the sidewalk"

   noun

   • 1. a timid, oversensitive, or overly fastidious man or boy: derogatory "once we were in the cells we became pathetic namby-pambies"

   Word Origin mid 18th century: fanciful formation based on the given name of Ambrose Philips (died 1749), an English writer whose pastorals were ridiculed by Pope and others.

   Scrabble Points: 26

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