Dandy describes a man who cares deeply about looking stylish and dressing in fashionable, elegant clothes. A dandy spends considerable time choosing his outfits, making sure every detail looks just right, from his perfectly tied necktie to his polished shoes. In the 1800s, being a dandy was almost a full-time occupation for some wealthy men, who would spend hours getting dressed and being seen in fashionable places.

The word can also mean something excellent or fine. If your dad asks how your soccer game went and you say “It was just dandy,” you mean it went really well. Sometimes people use this meaning sarcastically, though. If your sister spills juice on your homework and asks if everything's okay, you might say “Oh, just dandy” in a tone that makes it clear things are definitely not okay.

The phrase fine and dandy means everything is good and working smoothly. When a teacher checks that everyone understands the assignment and says “If you're all fine and dandy, let's get started,” she means everyone's ready to go.