# Speaking of Nelly

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 6, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332 "2003-02-06T22:50:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/1 "2003-02-06T22:50:41Z")

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Does that particular rap artist NOT know that “Nelly” is slang for “prissy” or “very gay -acting,” and has been used in particular amonst gay people, for a LONG time? See Jack on “Will and Grace” for the archetype.

It wouldn’t occur to me, except that rap culture seems awfully homophobic…

hrh

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**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/2 "2003-02-06T22:58:41Z")

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Does that popular rap collective NOT know that “Nappy Roots” means, well I wouldn’t care to even think, but it envokes completely the wrong image to UK listeners.

Nappy = Diaper.

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/3 "2003-02-06T23:03:38Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Futile Gesture \*  
> \*\*Does that popular rap collective NOT know that “Nappy Roots” means, well I wouldn’t care to even think, but it envokes completely the wrong image to UK listeners.
> 
> Nappy = Diaper. \*\*

LOL! I suppose that’s true. Not being UK-ish, it never occurred to me…

hrh

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**Author:** ![thirdshiftgrottoslack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@thirdshiftgrottoslack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdshiftgrottoslack)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/4 "2003-02-07T01:02:28Z")

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hiphop artists probably don’t carefully consider the cross-dialectical ramifications of their words prior to saying them.

and i doubt they really care about what some limeys think of them anyway.

and i always thought nelly was his real name, because hey, what rapper would actually change his name to nelly? when i think o fnelly i think of that bitch on little house on the prairie. i’m thinking street cred on little house is about nil.

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**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/5 "2003-02-07T03:22:23Z")

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I’ve never heard of nelly as homosexual slang.

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/6 "2003-02-07T03:30:19Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Neurotik \*  
> \*\*I’ve never heard of nelly as homosexual slang. \*\*

I lived in San Francisco for 6 1/2 of the last 7 years, have and had many gay friends. It’s common. I’ve even heard it on TV, but I can’t say where…

hrh

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**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/7 "2003-02-07T03:33:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Neurotik \*  
> \*\*I’ve never heard of nelly as homosexual slang. \*\*

In year 10 a British student in my Australian highschool had no idea why people thought it was funny that he kept asking if he could bum a fag. So it goes both ways.

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**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/8 "2003-02-07T04:05:51Z")

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I always thought the word was Nancy… probably synonyms!

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**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-of-nelly/153332/9 "2003-02-07T04:42:19Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \*  
> \*\*I always thought the word was Nancy… probably synonyms! \*\*

Synonyms indeed!

hrh