"Nifty" is a nifty word. My Favorite word.

Leila Shearon
Dr. Hughes
9.18.09

A person has many options in the search for the meaning of a word. One can search for the unknown meaning on the popular website among young people in today’s society http://www.urbandictionary.com/ or one could search on a prestigious and highly respected website http://dictionary.oed.com . The Oxford English Dictionary contains over 171,476 words in its collection. In The English language words are added every day. Some people sit and wonder if a word they use is actually an “official” word. The word “nifty” is a word that is becoming common in the world of preteens to young adults. “Nifty” in today’s society is used as an adjective. I can be used in many areas. The urban dictionary states the meaning as “To be very cool or neat; existing in a unique, positive manner.” They also stated “Refers to www.nifty.org, a rather large archive of erotic literature, a bit of it rather odd. Includes a vast array of topics, including, but not limited to, bestiality, incest, rape, bondage, hermaphrodism, gay/lesbian/bi/trans, sex with children, and at least one rendition of the story behind tubgirl”. The most common meaning for young adults is a synonym for the expression “Pretty darn awesome”. Oxford English dictionary is slightly different. As a noun is dates all the way back to 1918 is both an “A joke; a witty remark or story” and “An attractive young woman”. As an adjective it dates back even farther than 1918. The first usage is seen in the year of 1865.Oxford defined “nifty” as “Clever or ingenious; handy, nimble, dexterous” and “Smart, stylish; attractive; of good quality” Nifty used as an adjective has not been popular for over ten years. Now, people hear it in songs and on the tongues of the youth. Soon this word will be as common as the word “cool”. It has been used to describe the decade of the fifties. Soon this word will be able to describe anything and everything. “Nifty” is definitely a nifty word