▪ I. dick, n.2 dial.
[Perh., like prec., merely an arbitrary application of the proper name Dick; but a possible connexion with Du. dek ‘covering, cover, horse-cloth’ has been suggested. Cf. dicky n. III.]
A leather apron.
| 1847–78 Halliwell, Dick, a leather apron and bib, worn by poor children in the North. 1883 Almondbury & Huddersfield Gloss., Dick, a kind of apron such as worn by shoemakers, especially a leather one, which was called a ‘leather dick’. 1888 Sheffield Gloss., Dick, a leather apron for children. |
▪ II. dick, n.3 dial.
[Cf. dike and ditch.]
a. A ditch. b. The bank of a ditch; a dike.
| 1736 Pegge Kenticisms, Dick, a ditch. 1787 Marshall E. Norfolk, Gloss., Dick, the mound or bank of a ditch. 1875 Sussex Gloss., Dick, a ditch. 1893 Field 25 Feb. 295/1 Most fences should be on banks with ‘dicks’ where the ground requires them. |
▪ III. dick, n.4 slang.
Abbreviation of dictionary; hence, ‘Fine language, long words’ (Slang Dict.).
| 1860 Haliburton (Sam Slick) Season Ticket xii. (Farmer), Ah, now you are talking ‘Dic.’, exclaimed Peabody, and I can't follow you. 1873 Slang Dict. s.v., A man who uses fine words without much judgment is said to have ‘swallowed the dick’. |
▪ IV. dick, n.5 slang.
[Short for declaration: cf. davy for affidavit.]
In phr. to take one's dick = to take one's declaration.
| 1861 D. Cook P. Foster's Dau. xxvi. (Farmer), I'd take my dying dick he hasn't got a writ in his pocket. 1878 Yates Wrecked in Port I. 1 I'll take my dick I heard old Osborne say so! |
¶ To this (in the commercial sense of ‘declaration’ as to the value of goods) is perhaps to be referred the vulgar phrase up to dick: as adj. up to the proper standard, excellent, ‘proper’; as adv. properly, suitably, fittingly.
(It has however been referred by some to dick n.4)
| 1871 Daily News 7 Sept., The capital of the West is up to dick in the matter of lunches. 1877 J. Greenwood Blue Blanket (Farmer), ‘Ain't that up to dick, my biffin?’ 1877 Punch 10 Sept. 111/1. |
▪ V. dick, n.6 slang.
[? Arbitrary contraction of detective n.]
A detective; a policeman.
| 1908 J. M. Sullivan Crim. Slang. 8 Dick, a cop, detective (Canadian slang). 1912 A. H. Lewis Apaches of N.Y. 95 Still, those plain-clothes dicks did not despair. 1924 Amer. Speech I. 151/2 ‘Dick’ and ‘bull’ and ‘John Law’ have become established as names for the police. 1928 E. Wallace Gunner xxix. 234 They'd persuaded a couple of dicks—detectives—to watch the barriers. 1956 J. D. Carr P. Butler for Defence xiii. 140 Plain-clothes C.I.D. men..are currently known as bogeys, busies, dicks, and scotches. |