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GrammarLoser Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary

[Vocab. Problem] word: niggle

Is it correct to say, "I don't want to niggle my friends with my problems."? Niggle being synonymous to "annoy", "trouble", and "worry" in this sense.

According to thefreedictionary.com,

"niggle ['n?g?l]
vb
1. (intr) to find fault continually
2. (intr) to be preoccupied with details; fuss
3. (tr) to irritate; worry"

Take note of the last definition. But I keep finding sources saying that it's an intransitive verb, and that using the word in that sense (in reference to the sentence above) is rather awry. What, am I correct for using it to mean "I don't want to ANNOY my friends..."?
  

Top answer

" I would only use the word that way to slap the reader around a little.

— Enoon

  • " I would only use the word that way to slap the reader around a little.
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5 Answers
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Your use of "niggle" is unknown in my dialect, but the Shorter Oxford 2002 lists that transitive definition without comment, supplying a citation: "Nothing niggles me more than cutting myself shaving." I would only use the word that way to slap the reader around a little.
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Other examples: Something's been niggling her all day.
It niggles me that we can't go home yet and get warm.
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What do you mean by "slap the reader around a little"? Emotion: smile
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The word calls attention to itself, and using it in an unfamiliar way will make the reader question his faculties. This will annoy the reader and make him think things he wasn't planning on when he started to read. All those are normally bad things, but if used right they can establish the writer's dominance over the reader. It's hard to explain. Heinlein did it sometimes. It's a form of breaking
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