A huge bunch of stuff on nifty stories
The current Wiktionary defines the word as "good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial. " The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: "particularly good, effective, or stylish. " What was my listener describing when he called my stories "nifty?" The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.