People say "play innocent" or "play dead" to mean "pretend to be innocent" or "pretend to be dead" respectively.
Can we apply that way of saying to the adjective "nice"?
Does "play nice" mean "pretend to be nice"?
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4No. "to play nice" is an idiom. It means to behave without causing trouble.– Billy KerrSep 8 at 11:19
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There is no pretending in play nice.– LambieSep 8 at 17:58
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1 Answer
'Play nice' is an idiom. It means to not cause trouble; to play without arguing; share your toys.
It's a common expression for a parent to children who are squabbling.
As noted in comments - if this is said to adults, it often implies they are being childish.
I suppose strictly, it perhaps ought to be 'play nicely' but no-one ever really says that.
answered Sep 8 at 11:32
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1Good answer. I would add that, when said to adults, it often implies that they are being childish. Sep 8 at 13:01
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1Had to remove my upvote when I got to your last sentence. If no one ever says it, then the "strict" rule was made up, by a bozo. Sep 8 at 17:02
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@TimR - Seems an odd reason to remove the vote… like "Think Different". Americans didn't mind it, it drove Brits bananas. It should be an adverb, but no-one ever does it correct. :P Sep 8 at 17:05
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@ColinFine - ermmm… whut?? I know each of those words, but they don't seem to add up to anything meaningful. Sep 8 at 17:17