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Origin and history of nick

nick(n.)

"notch, groove, slit," mid-15c., nik, nyke, a word of unknown origin, possibly from a variant of Old French niche (see niche).

Nick of time is attested by 1640s (nick of opportunity is 1610s), possibly from an old custom of recording time as it passed by making notches on a tally stick, though nick in the general sense of "critical moment" is older (1570s, Hanmer, who adds "as commonly we say") than the phrase. Nick (n.) specifically as "notch of a tally" is attested from late 15c.

also from mid-15c.

nick(v.)

1520s, "to make a notch or notches in," from nick (n.). The sense of "to steal" is from 1734, probably from earlier slang senses of "to catch, take unawares, arrest" (1620s) or "to cheat, to win a game by cheating" (1540s.) The precise sense connection is unclear; Green's Dictionary of Slang suggests this sense represents a Romany word or else a metaphoric use of nick in the "notch" sense (compare score.) Middle Dutch has nicken, "to bend, to bow" (compare the sense evolution in crook (n.)). Related: Nicked; nicking.

also from 1520s

Nick

masc. proper name, familiar form of Nicholas. Saint Nick, for Saint Nicholas, is by 1811 in a nautical context (he is patron saint of sailors among others.)

As "the devil," especially in the phrase Old Nick, by 1640s, but the reason for that is obscure; perhaps connected with nick (v.) in sense of "catch, seize" (compare Thief as an epithet of Satan, recorded c. 1500) or a shortening of Old Iniquity, a name for the Vice character in old morality plays sometimes used as an insult. It may also simply be a name: other evasive appellations for the devil from Scots dialect include Harry, Sandy, Carl, Smith, Neil, Wally and Bubba. Also compare nickel.

Entries linking to nick

crook(n.)

c. 1200, "hook-shaped instrument or weapon; tool or utensil consisting of or having as an essential component a hook or curved piece of metal," from Old Norse krokr "hook, corner," cognate with Old High German kracho "hooked tool," of obscure origin but perhaps related to the widespread group of Germanic kr- words meaning "bent, hooked." If there was an Old English *croc it has not been found.

From late 14c. as "a bend or curved part;" late 15c. as "any bend, turn, or curve." From mid-15c. as "a shepherd's staff with a curved top." Meaning "swindler" is American English, 1879, from crooked in figurative sense of "dishonest, crooked in conduct" (1708). Crook "dishonest trick" was in Middle English, especially in reference to the wiles of the Devil.

niche(n.)

1610s, "shallow recess in a wall," from French niche "recess (for a dog), kennel" (14c.), perhaps from Italian nicchia "niche, nook," which is said to be from nicchio "seashell," itself said by Klein, Barnhart, etc. to be probably from Latin mitulus "mussel," but the change of -m- to -n- is not explained (Century Dictionary compares napkin from Latin mappa). Watkins suggests that the word is from an Old French noun derived from nichier "to nestle, nest, build a nest," via Gallo-Roman *nidicare from Latin nidus "nest" (see nidus), but that, too, has difficulties. The figurative sense is recorded by 1725. Biological use dates from 1927.