ninny

plural ninnies

1. informalA silly or foolish person.

   Caliban: What a py'de Ninnie's this? Thou ſcvrvy patch: […]

   1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 12

   4 more examples

   Byd. […] a good cheeke, an inticing eye, a smooth skinne, a well shapt leg, a faire hand, you cannot bring a wench into a fooles parradize for you? Sim. Not I by this garter, I am a foole, a very Ninny I, how call you her? how call you her?

   1601 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], What You Will, London: […] G[eorge] Eld, for Thomas Thorppe, published 1607, →OCLC, Act V

   "Nob, you woolly-pated ninny!" [Butterbur] cried. "Can't you give old friends their names?

   1955, J.R.R. Tolkien, “Homeward Bound”, in The Return of the King

   Ninny — that soft, smiling, self-effacing, apologetic fellow, the type who is terribly sorry when you happen to step on his foot, the kind you can borrow money from in the certainty he will never demand you repay it.

   1962, John D. MacDonald, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

   Now, on the pool deck, the boys tussle and roughhouse with the zeal of Labrador puppies, slugging each other lovingly in the shoulders and then retreating with giggles like ninnies.

   2021 May 7, Barrett Swanson, “The Anxiety of Influencers”, in Harper's Magazine

   Synonyms: simpleton, dummkopf, addle-brain, addlehead, addle pate, airhead, baboon, beanbrain