nippy
adjective (informal)

- cold (nippy weather or air is quite cold)

- able to change speed and direction easily (i.e. a car)

Cambridge Dictionary

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ORIGIN

A nip “a pinch, a sharp bite” is from the 1540s. Nip, meaning “a chill in the weather” is from 1610s, probably so called for its effect on vegetation.

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CHILLY CHOCOLATE CHIEF

One day, King George V and Queen Mary visited George Cadbury’s chocolate factory. Cadbury gallantly led the way with the queen while his wife walked behind with the king.

Despite the very NIPPY weather, Cadbury removed his hat as a mark of respect for his royal guests. Queen Mary, however, concerned about his health, begged him to be sensible: “Mr. Cadbury, please put on your hat” she pleaded.

When he politely refused, she repeated her request: “Please, Mr. Cadbury - or I’ll ask the king to command you to do so!” Still he refused…

Finally, from behind them came the booming voice of Elizabeth Cadbury: “George, put your hat on!”

He did.

George Cadbury (1839-1922) British Quaker, cocoa manufacturer, and social reformer

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SYNONYMS

antarctic, arctic, below freezing, below zero, benumbed, biting, bitter, bitterly cold, blasting, blowy, bone-chilling, bracing, brass monkey weather, brisk, chill, chilled, chilled to the bone, chilly, circumpolar, cold, cold as ice, coldish, cool, coolish, crisp, cutting, extremely cold, frosty, fierce, freezing, fresh, frigid, frost-bound, frosty, frozen, frozen to the marrow, glacial, ice-capped, ice-cold, icebox, iced, icicled, icy, intensely cold, invigorating, knifelike, nipping, NIPPY, numbing, one-dog night, parky, penetrating, perishing, piercing, polar, raw, refreshing, refrigerated, severe, sharp, shivering, shivery, Siberian, smarting, snappy, snowy, stinging, stone-cold, three-dog night, two-dog night, wintery

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Practice OWAD in an English conversation, say something like:

“It’s rather NIPPY today over here in Germany, what’s the weather like in London?”

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Paul Smith