Originally from Scots, persnickety is a variant of pernickety, which is of uncertain origin.
The prefix per– occurs in a number of other expressive words in Scots, such as pergaddus, “thump, clatter,” perskeet, “fastidious,” and perjink, “trim, neat.”
EXAMPLES OF PERSNICKETY
Despite his persnickety nature, she found his attention to detail endearing.
The designer’s persnickety attitude ensured that every aspect of the project was perfect.
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