NICE is not nice

The only time I find the use of the word ‘nice’ acceptable is in relation to the biscuits of that name. I am definitely on the side of those folk who ostracise the word as being inadequately descriptive. In one children’s school I know there is a poster which shows the word being thrown into a dustbin. ‘Nice’ is banned from all composition on the grounds that it isn’t descriptive enough. Many teachers share this view.


(It is worth noting that the biscuits should really be pronounced ‘Neece’ as they are named after the French city. They were seen as a posh treat for afternoon tea when they first appeared in the 1920s. Nice is not a brand name and consequently lots of different companies make them all over the world. The recipes can vary but all feature coconut as a key ingredient, tend to have a sprinkling of sugar and, of course, have the word ‘NICE’ embossed on the top.)

For me the ultimate misuse of the word occurred on the ITV regional weather forecast before Sunday’s Grand Prix. It showed a screen with the words ‘Showers and some nice sunshine’. Ugh, ugh, ugh!!!