a negative Nelly

[Wookie]

A constant Twitter feed connects truck-followers and updates them about whether Kogi is going to be late to its next stop. Occasionally, a negative Nelly will rain on this love parade by asking the Kogi truck to park elsewhere; when this happens, legions of Kogi-lytes rally to find a desirable new location.

This is from an article in the Los Angeles Times. The article is about a taco truck, Kogi Korean BBQ.

I'd like to know what "a negative Nelly" means.

 

[Wookie]

I think "a negative Nelly" could mean an aficionado of Kogi. "A negative Nelly" would want the Kogi truck to park near their home not far from theirs.
What do you think?

 

[Nunty]

No, it's just an expression to mean someone who has a negative attitude. "Nelly" is sometimes coupled with an adjective to form a pejorative term. You might also hear "nervous Nellly".

Nelly is a woman's name, but it isn't used much any more. A nervous or negative Nelly can be female or male, though.

 

[yasolina]

I have more commonly heard "negative Nancy" used. People will often pair a characteristic with a name beginning with the same letter, as in "sketchy Sally," or "obnoxious Oscar."