dicty

comparative dictier · superlative dictiest · alternative dickty

1. African-American Vernacularstylish and respectable; high-class
2. African-American Vernacularstriving to seem stylish and respectable; pretentious
3. African-American Vernacularsnobbish and uptight

   We had already decided that he'd have to move in with Isabel and her folks. I knew this wasn't the ideal arrangement because Isabel's folks are inclined to be dicty and they hadn't especially wanted Isabel to marry me. But I didn't know what else to do.

   1957, James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues”, in Going to Meet the Man, Dial, published 1965

plural dicties · alternative dickty

1. African-American VernacularAn upper-class black.

   Synonyms: chic, classy, ritzy, flashy, showy, haughty, hoity-toity, snobby

1. diminutivediminutive of Dictyostelium discoideum (a soil social amoeba)

   Synonyms: Dictyostelium discoideum, D. discoideum, discoideum