Jim-dandy
n.capable, joyfulplayful
What it means
An excellent or especially pleasing person or thing.
Reach for it when offering colorful old-fashioned approval in casual speech
The folding workbench is a jim-dandy for repairs in a small apartment.
Choose between these
6- playful
skill or quality is outstanding in an old-fashioned register
not when Crackerjack is equally dated and may puzzle an international audience.
- playful
an unexpectedly excellent find deserves compact praise
not when Gem can imply rarity or beauty rather than practical usefulness.
- everyday
the choice has clearly succeeded
not when Winner can sound competitive and may not fit praise for a person.
- warm
an especially fine example inspires affection
not when Beauty shifts attention toward appearance unless context makes the figurative sense clear.
- professional
superior quality is evident within a comparison set
not when Standout needs an implied field and lacks jim-dandy's folksy warmth.
- formal
excellent specimen
evaluation requires precise, restrained wording
not when The phrase sounds clinical and removes all of the original's delighted personality.
Said against
3- dud
- failure
- mediocrity
It naturally appears in
3- a real jim-dandy
That hand drill is a real jim-dandy when electricity is unavailable.
- little jim-dandy
The compact stove proved a little jim-dandy on the wet hike.
- jim-dandy of a tool
They found a jim-dandy of a tool for lifting the old tiles.
Usage notes
Jim-dandy is dated North American informal language and may sound deliberately quaint.