different between welly vs nelly

English

Etymology 1

Wellington boot +? -y

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?li/
• Rhymes: -?li

Noun

welly (countable and uncountable, plural wellies)

1. (countable, informal) Wellington boot.
2. (uncountable, informal) Force on a pedal or increase to any fuel or power for an engine or motor.
3. (uncountable, informal) Force or effort.

   Come on! Put some welly into it!

Alternative forms

• wellie

Derived terms

• welly whanging
• give it some welly
• green welly brigade
• welly it

Translations

Etymology 2

From well-nigh.

Adverb

welly (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, Britain, dialect) Almost; nearly.
   • 1853, Notes & Queries (volume 8, page 64)

     A person exceedingly hungry says, "I'm welly clem'd; I'm almost or well-nigh starved." It is the ordinary appeal of a beggar in the streets, when asking for food.

References

• 1893, Joseph Wright, The English Dialect Dictionary (page 430).

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /n?li/
• Rhymes: -?li

Etymology 1

Shortened from Nelly Duff, for puff, i.e. breath of life.

Noun

nelly (not used in the plural)

1. (Cockney rhyming slang) A person's life.

Usage notes

• Used principally in the phrase not on your nelly.

Etymology 2

From the woman's name Nelly.

Noun

nelly (plural nellies)

1. (derogatory, slang) An effeminate homosexual man.
2. (Britain, slang) A silly person.
3. A giant petrel, Macronectes giganteus and Macronectes halli.

Hyponyms

• (petrel): Antarctic giant petrel, northern giant petrel, southern giant fulmar, southern giant petrel

Translations

Adjective

nelly (comparative nellier, superlative nelliest)

1. (slang) Unmanly; effeminate.