I’m pretty sure that, several hundred years ago, “mean” meant miserly and “nice” connoted a picky little detail.

I like the way Brits use the word “nice” to mean “pleasant.”  Having your back scratched can feel nice.  Popsicles can taste nice.  We’d use “good” rather than “nice” in the US, where “nice” is mostly reserved for people and the occasional “have a nice day,” although I think “great” has supplanted “nice.”

“Great” and “awesome” are losing their punch through overuse.  But if I tell people not to use these words, I just sound mean.