Murray, speaking only for myself, I remember as a girl, when we said of a boy that he was 'nice', it usually meant that he was respectful and not too exciting!

Nowadays, I suppose I still use it somewhat the same way. In other words, if it's a person I want to know better, I'll say, So and so is 'interesting'- I won't use the word 'nice'.

On the other hand, we might say something like, He comes from a nice family- that, I think, connotes respectability.

I wonder how other people see the term?

Of course, nice has moved from its original meaning of fastidiousness or meticulousness. I've never heard it used that way.

Ebbie