An interjection originally synonymous with phrases such as "Great
job!" and "That was amazing!"
In modern times it is
almost exclusively used ironically after someone makes a
mistake. It can be derogatory of their decisions or skills, or may be diminutive of their achievements.
Fitzy faced the bars. The cell doors were locked until they went down for slop. "At least they can't pull a
houdini this time," he thought, remembering the botched attempt at what they thought was a
quirky surprise. On the up side, the rectal reconstruction gave him nearly 3 full weeks of recovery time in the hospital wing. Fond memories: better
food, a warmer
bed, and the others felt so bad for him they said, "Rub and tugs only Fitz. Until you're out of here!" That only lasted two weeks but he could tell his forearm
definition was much improved.
-----
Fitzy preferred to pass this humiliating time thinking about being exonerated and going home. He knew it was coming, as it had 100 times before, but even as his head swam from the final
donkey punch he knew he had heard it. "Nicedan," he knew the
definition well but had Tank intended it in traditional meaning or had he intended it to insult? It didn't matter. For a moment his mind wandered to when "rafty" had become the favorite adjective of the inmate population. He had never seen so much confusion and chaos! He snapped back to the present.
-----
"You fool," he rebuked himself pointedly, "you thought the worst was over." Somehow he knew that all of the prisoners would soon appropriate his moniker to debase, subdue, and chasten him in one, final shame. "Nicedan," he thought. Nicedan indeed.
