To You, Is "Nice" a Four-letter Word?

snowbird

I've noticed several posters who exhort others to be nice or play nice.

Here in the South, being nice is simply about being.

Is that how it is with you?

Thanks for any responses.

Syl

ziddina

I like the Shakespearean definition of "nice", as described in "Taming of the Shrew", Act 3, Scene 1, as spoken by Bianca to one of her suitors...:

" "'Gamut'[...] I am, the ground of all accord,

'A re', to plead Hortensio's passion;

'B mi', Bianca, take him for thy lord,

'C fa ut', that loves with all affection:

'D sol re', one clef, two notes have I:

'E la mi', show pity, or I die."

Call you this gamut! tut, I like it not:

Old fashions please me best; I am not so nice,

To change true rules for old inventions. ...."

(And as the footnote explains, "...one of the ancient meanings of 'nice' was silly, foolish. Thus in Chaucers "Wif of Bathes Tale": "But say that we ben wise and nothing nice.")

Harsh times, man... But I've seen so many examples of "nice" - starting out with my viciously competitive, malicious "mother" - in which the "niceness" was nothing more than a smoke-screen to hide the person's nasty actions and/or attitudes...

Zid - who's a she-devil, and definitely NOT nice!!

snowbird

Zid - who's a she-devil, and definitely NOT nice!!

Thanks, Ziddy.

Tee hee hee.

Syl

leavingwt

Sylvia -- Here's all I know. Rarely, does something positive result from being "ugly" in public.

snowbird

Or, in private ...

So true, LWT.

Thanks.

Syl

leavingwt

Or, in private ...

In general, yes. But, sometimes, because we love folks, we DO have to shuck the corn, in private.

To You, Is "Nice" a Four-letter Word?

snowbird

ziddina

snowbird

leavingwt

snowbird

keyser soze

snowbird

Quirky1

snowbird

leavingwt

Share this