Verb / Noun | Theft / Police / Informal Crime Language
Encyclopedia of British Slang
NICK
Verb / Noun | Mild to Moderate | Theft / Police / Informal Crime Language
NICK Pronunciation: /n?k/ Part of Speech: Verb / Noun Severity Level: Mild to Moderate Category: Theft / Police / Informal Crime Language
Core Definition
Nicking means:
To steal
To take without permission
The nick can also mean:
Police station
Prison
It carries multiple meanings in British slang.
Linguistic Origins
The word dates back to at least the 16th century.
It may derive from Old English or criminal cant.
Its versatility made it central in British informal crime vocabulary.
Usage Contexts
Theft:
He nicked it.
Police:
Taken to the nick.
Prison:
In the nick.
It depends on context.
Emotional Register
Nick is casual.
It downplays seriousness.
Often used jokingly.
Tone Variations
Playful:
Nick a biscuit.
Serious:
He nicked a car.
Neutral:
Off to the nick.
Tone defines severity.
Comparison with Related Terms
Steal formal
Pinch similar slang
Lift American slang
Nick British core term
Nick is flexible.
Psychological Function
Nick softens crime linguistically.
It makes minor theft sound cheeky.
It embeds crime talk in everyday speech.
Cultural Insight
Nick reflects Britains long history of informal criminal slang.
It demonstrates linguistic adaptability.
Final Assessment
Nick is:
Multi-meaning
Informal
Crime-coded
Widely understood
It captures taking.
With understatement.
Nick.
EXPANDED ENTRY 145
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. Contact: editor@prat.uk
