sicknik

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Any of a group of American comedians, first popular in the 1950s, who employed cynicism, satire, and observational comedy rather than inoffensive traditional jokes.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

What the sickniks dispense is partly social criticism liberally laced with cyanide, partly a Charles Addams kind of jolly ghoulishness, and partly a personal and highly disturbing hostility toward all the world.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “sicknik” mean?

Any of a group of American comedians, first popular in the 1950s, who employed cynicism, satire, and observational comedy rather than inoffensive traditional jokes.

Is “sicknik” formal or informal?

sicknik is generally slang.