Green’s Dictionary of Slang

ninny n.¹

(UK Und.) a ‘canting, whining beggar’ (B.E.).

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Ninny c. a Canting whining Begger, also a Fool.
1709		N. Ward Compleat and Humorous Account of Remarkable Clubs (1756) 19: A List of the Knights of the Noble Order of the fleece. Sir Nicholas Ninny.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].

SE in slang uses

In compounds

ninny-broth (n.) [i.e. ‘real men’ drink beer or wine]

coffee.

1698		N. Ward London Spy I 15: Being half choak’d with the Steam that arose from their Soot-colour’d Ninny Broth.
1707		Humours of a Coffee-House 3 Oct. 30: Hang News, it’s good for nothing as I know on, but to make Mechanick Politicians wag their Chins over their Ninny-Broth.
1733		Newcastle Courant 1 Dec. 1/2: Fidelia [...] sends to him to come and drink Tea; but he don’t love such ninny Broth.

ninny-broth house (n.)

a coffee house.

1705–07

N. Ward Hudibras Redivivus I:2 19: Being much concern’d to see Things go thus, / I stept into a Ninny-Broth House.

ninny-gut (n.)

(US) a weakling.

c.1935

N. Algren ‘A Holiday in Texas’ in Texas Stories (1995) 39: Sure — ah ain’t no ninny-gut — ah work lak a man an’ ah eat lak a man an’ ah drink — and I . . . lak a man.