Nobby
/ˈnɒb.i/noun
Stylish, smart, or fashionable, especially in a showy or upper-class way.
Did you know?The word *nobby* is tied to *nob*, a slang term for the head, and may ultimately connect to old senses of a rounded lump or knob — so a word for “fashionable” may have started as a jab at someone’s noggin.
Etymological Timeline
18th Century
English
nob
“Slang for the head; later, a person of rank or wealth.”
19th Century
English
nobby
“Fashionable, smart, or elegant; sometimes showy or pretentious.”
Old English
English
cnob
“A knob, lump, or rounded swelling.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*knub- / *knob-
“A swelling, lump, or protuberance.”
Modern English
English
nobby
“Stylish or fashionable, especially in a conspicuously smart way.”