What madness is this? What unholy and devilishly complex word could contain such a multitude of meaning?
Merriam-Webster, “Words at Play” on the etymology, history, and meanings of “nice.”
What madness is this? What unholy and devilishly complex word could contain such a multitude of meaning?
Merriam-Webster, “Words at Play” on the etymology, history, and meanings of “nice.”
The etymology of “nice” is stupid, foolish, ignorant and unaware. Ironically, those words might well describe “nice” people today who are either ignorant of the truth or are willing to compromise doctrinal truth for the sake of getting along and being agreeable. Machen was not nice, in both the past and present meanings of the word. He was more concerned with faithfully preaching the Word than with avoiding controversy by accommodating false teaching by smoothing over differences, than with being “nice.”