Nick

[phylkat]

I was wondering if anyone knows why we say that someone 'nicked' something meaning it was stolen? ALSO we say 'nick' meaning prison, & something is in good 'Nick' when its in good order.

Anyone got any idea's?


pk

[Quizmonster]

Nick meaning catch has been with us since the 1600s and, almost certainly, nick meaning prison comes from that...ie you're put in the nick when you've been caught. The jail meaning started life, however, as Australian slang in the 1880s. Nick meaning condition is a relatively recent coinage, having started life as a dialect word in the late 19th century. Finally, though you do not mention it, nick meaning the exact moment...as in 'in the nick of time'...is oldest of all the above and has been used since the 1500s.

[Quizmonster]

Oops! Nick meaning steal has also been around in English since the late 19th century.

[phylkat]

Mmmmmmm!! Thankyou. QM

[littletent]

i thought it was related to 'Old Nick' - slang for the devil. So if you were to nick something you would in effect be an agent of old nick! :-)

[phylkat]

Thats feasible I suppose littletent......