night out
An evening spent socializing or having fun outside the home
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night owl
A person who is most active at night
night person
Someone who is most active or productive at night
night-hunter
A poacher.—North. Also a London prostitute. Sometimes in the latter capacity varied to night-hawk.
nightcap
A glass of "warm with" taken the last thing at night.
nightingale
A soldier who, as the term is, sings out at the halberts. It is a point of honour in some regiments, among the grenadiers, never to cry out, become nightingales, whilst under the discipline of the cat of nine tails; to avoid which, they chew a bullet.
nightman
One whose business it is to empty necessary houses in London, which is always done in the night; the operation is called a wedding. See WEDDING.
nightstick
The penis.
nigmenog
A very silly fellow.
Niki Lauda
Cocaine.
nikon choir
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
nil
Half; half profits, &c.
nil desperandum
Never say die; never give up in despair; another tag from Horace (Carmen, I, vii, 27) : —
Nile is so called by Dr
Johnson in his Rasselas. The epithet Father is not uncommonly applied to rivers, especially those on which cities are built.
nilly-willy
I.e., NILL YE, WILL YE, whether you will or no; a familiar version of the Latin, NOLENS VOLENS. Generally written now, WILLY-NILLY.
nimble as ninepence
Silver ninepences were common till the year 1696, when all unmilled coin was called in. These ninepences were very pliable or "nimble," and, being bent, were given as love tokens, the usual formula of presentation being To my love, from my love. There is an old proverb, A nimble ninepence is better than a slow shilling.
nimgimmer
A physician or surgeon, particularly those who cure the venereal disease.
nimming
Stealing. Old English, NIM, to take. Motherwell, the Scotch poet, thought the old word NIM (to snatch or pick up) was derived from nam, nam, the tiny words or cries of an infant, when eating anything which pleases its little palate. A negro proverb has the word:—
nimp
A nymph.
nincompoop
A fool, a hen-pecked husband, a "Jerry Sneak."—Corruption of non compos mentis.
nine corns
A pipeful of tobacco.
nine lives
Cats are said to have nine lives, and women ten cats lives.
nine shillings
Cool audacity; most probably derived from the French, NONCHALANCE.
nine tailors make a man
Many insignificant people together can accomplish something
nine times out of ten
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
nine times out of ten
Far more often than not; in a great preponderance. Possession is nine points of the law. It is every advantage a person can have short of actual right.
nine-day wonder
Something that causes a brief, intense sensation or interest
ninepence
"nice as NINEPENCE," all right, right to a nicety. A correspondent says:—"This most undoubtedly should be NINE-PINS. For at the game of that name, in fairness to both parties, the nine pins must always be set up with great accuracy. There is no nicety in NINEPENCE!" Evidently this correspondent does not know how nice it is to have ninepence, after being without money. At all events the phrase is "nice as NINEPENCE."
nines
"dressed up to the NINES," in a showy or recherché manner. Up to the NINES, up to the dodges and "wrinkles" of life.
ning-nang
Horse-coupers’ term for a worthless thoroughbred.
ninnyhammer
A foolish, ignorant person. Generally shortened to NINNY. NINNY is also short for nincompoop.
nip
A cheat. Bung nipper; a cutpurse.
nip
To steal, to take up quickly. See NAP and NIB.
nip and tuck
very close or evenly matched
nip and tuck
A neck-and-neck race; a close fight. Among sailors the purser is nicknamed "Nip- cheese." (Dutch, nypen.
nip at
to constantly annoy or bother someone
nip cheese
A nick name for the purser of a ship: from those gentlemen being supposed sometimes to nip, or diminish, the allowance of the seamen, in that and every other article. It is also applied to stingy persons in general.
nip in the bud
To stop something from developing or happening
nipcheese
A purser.—Old Sea Slang.
nipper
A sharp lad. Originally a superior grade among cut-purses.
nipply
Very cold.
nipps
The sheers used in clipping money.
nish
Nothing.
nisi prius
Originally a writ commanding a sheriff to empanel a jury which should be at the Court of Westminster on a certain day unless the judge of assize previously come to his county, as —
nissen hut
A long, iron-roofed hut, semi- circular in section, easily portable and largely used by armies, etc. The name comes from the original designers and makers.
nix
Nothing. German, NICHTS. See MUNGARLY.
nix my dolly
Once a very popular slang song, beginning—
nix off
To reject.
nix!
The signal word of schoolboys and workpeople to each other that the master, or other person in authority, is approaching.
nixes
Nothing.
Nixon in China
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
niz-priz
A writ of nisi-prius.—Legal.
nizzie
A fool.
nizzie
A fool, a coxcomb.—Old Cant, vide Triumph of Wit.
no and low
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
no biggie
something is not important or troublesome
no bones about it
To state something honestly and directly without hesitation
no book was so bad, but some good might be got out of it
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
no borax, no glue
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
no buts
without any excuses or exceptions
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