Meaning
A silly or foolish person.
Etymology
Origin: Italian
Unknown; the synonym ninnyhammer appears around the same time. Possibly related to innocent or Italian ninno (“small child”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 27 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-09-23IDGLNYZ
- 2026-07-27IACNTVY
- 2026-06-16YAEILNV
- 2026-03-02NCIOTUY
- 2026-02-26IATMNYC
- 2026-01-01NATICLY
- 2025-11-11YANLGDI
- 2025-11-09NAYRCIL
- 2025-05-20YTAOLIN
- 2025-04-07YAPLINT
- 2025-02-03NDVIELY
- 2025-01-30NZDYIGL
+15 earlier appearances in the archive.