A namby-pamby (plural namby-pambies) is someone, usually a male, who is overly
weak, sentimental or indecisive. It was a play on the name of Ambrose Philips, who wrote sickeningly sentimental poems for children. The nickname was devised by
Henry Carey, a poet and songwriter, who wrote “God Save the
Queen” and “My Country ‘tis of Thee”. It was popularized, however, by Alexander Pope in his satirical epic “The Dunciad”. It can also be used as an adjective meaning
weak or spineless, lacking vigour or decisiveness, and overly sentimental.