Ooh, don’t you just love that word? It means fussy or finicky. And isn’t that exactly what persnickety sounds like? It’s not an onomatopoeia, but it sounds like one to me. I had occasion to use it in conversation recently and felt very pleased with myself. When I hear it I can almost hear my mom saying, “Don’t be a Persnickety Ann.” I tried to find the origin of that phrase and had no luck. If you know, please tell me. I’d also like to know what you think of when you hear persnickety. Does a particular person come to mind? Have you used it in conversation? Give it a go!
You’re right, I do love the word persnickety. I have never used it in a sentence but, I’m certain that “Mary Poppins” used it on a regular basis.
She would! Mary Poppins is the practically perfect person to say persnickety.