▪ I. picky, a.
(ˈpɪkɪ)
[f. pick v.1 + -y1.]
Fastidious, finicky, ‘choosey’ (see also quot. 1867). Hence ˈpickiness.
| 1867 W. Dickinson Gloss. Words & Phrases Cumberland (Suppl.) 28 Picky, of weak appetite. 1900 Dickinson & Prevost Gloss. Dial. Cumberland (rev. ed.) 243/1 T'barn's nut weel, it's too picky by far. 1917 in Dialect Notes (1918) V. 12 Not an ugly picky thing in all she has to say. 1932 New Yorker 11 June 50/2 People who are picky about their food on shipboard..will be glad to know that the Clyde-Mallory Lines now allow you to buy a ticket for transportation only and order meals à la carte. 1957 ‘R. Traver’ Anat. Murder (1958) i. xv. 101, I don't want to seem picky, Lieutenant, but I happen to consider your particular doctor professionally on a par with Amos Crocker. 1966 New Statesman 29 Apr. 618/2 A hesitant, picky account of Mississippi's economic and electoral..history. 1971 D. Bagley Freedom Trap iii. 62 This is a very exclusive mob; very picky and choosy. 1974 D. Scannell Mother knew Best iii. 27, I was always ‘gastric’ and Mother would get different meals for me as she thought me a ‘picky’ eater and needed tempting. 1977 Sci. Amer. Apr. 145/1 He was meticulous, even picky, about expense accounts. 1977 Verbatim May 6/1 And if you are willing to discard mere pickiness, you know what taken for granite and scuenting mean, too. |
Add: ˈpickily adv.
| 1985 Observer 8 Dec. 26/8 An American compilation that has the decency to include cricket anecdotes should not be treated pickily. |
▪ II. picky
Sc. and north. dial. var. pitchy.
▪ III. picky
var. piccy.