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Eeny vs Eely - What's the difference?

eeny | eely |

As adjectives the difference between eeny and eely

is that eeny is minuscule while eely is resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery.

As an adverb eeny

is in a very small way.

eeny

English

Etymology 1

Possibly from teeny weeny

Adjective

(-)
  • (informal) minuscule
    • Can you put an eeny bit of mustard on my hot dog?
    Synonyms
    * itsy bitsy, itty, teeny weeny, tiny, teeny, bitty

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (informal) In a very small way.
  • * 1999 , Joe Klein, Woody Guthrie: A Life , page 35
    • Then they would go back to the gang house—Woody named it the Eeny House because it was so small [...].
  • * 2003 , Craig Lucas, "Reckless", in Reckless and Other Plays , page 54
    • ... and weep and moan and scream every little eeny orgasm.
  • * 2004 , Stephen Bayley, "Car culture: Why a MINI is better than a Porsche", Daily Telegraph , 14/08/2004
    • The interior is, perhaps, an eeny bit tricksy, but has worn surprisingly well over nearly four years and did not really need the light refreshment it has received in the Cabrio

    Etymology 2

    (en)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (British, dialect) Holey, cellular.

    • Etymology 3

    (en)

    Adjective

    (-)

    • Adverb

    (-)
  • (dialect) With most, almost
    • He eeny most had enough to eat.
  • (dialect) Only
    • He's eeny just come home.

    Anagrams

    * *

    eely

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Resembling an eel: long, thin and slippery
  • * {{quote-book, year=1850, author=George Manville Fenn, title=Menhardoc, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=The great ugly sharky fish was hooked forward by Josh and placed in a great basket, where it lay writhing its eely tail, and flapping its wing-like fins as the boat slowly progressed, and bait after bait was replaced, many being untouched, the thornback, skate, or ray being the only fish taken. }}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1904, author=George Manville Fenn, title=The Ocean Cat's Paw, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=That was a great long eely thing; but Joe Cross here says this was more like a great turtle, with flippers and a long neck, and a head like a snake." }}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2004, date=August 13, author=Neil Tesser, title=Lou Donaldson Quartet with Dr. Lonnie Smith, work=Chicago Reader citation
    • , passage=Veteran alto saxist Lou Donaldson faces the audience with a raised eyebrow and a toothy grin, and his horn's high-pitched, eely timbre--which still has plenty of the grease that made him a soul-jazz hero in the 60s and 70s--complements his squeaky voice. }}