Word of the Day

: September 2, 2011

finicky

adjective FIN-ih-kee

What It Means

1 : extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards

2 : requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort

finicky in Context

Pamela found it challenging to come up with ideas for healthy meals that her young son, a finicky eater, would enjoy.

"Reports that the actor [Kelsey Grammer] -- famous for playing the finicky Freudian Frasier Crane -- may be running for NYC mayor are at least a decade premature, the actor’s spokesman said Monday." -- From an article by Sheila Anne Feeney in AM New York, August 1, 2011

Did You Know?

You may be familiar with an advertising campaign featuring Morris, the "finicky" housecat who would only eat a certain brand of cat food. Morris’s tastes in cuisine are not only very particular, but very fine as well, and that’s appropriate given the origin of "finicky." The word came about as an alteration of "finicking," itself an alteration of another adjective, "finical." It’s believed that "finical" derives from the adjective "fine." "Finicking" also gives us "finick," a somewhat rare verb meaning "to put on airs" or "to dawdle about."