Nimshi, subs. (American).—A nincompoop; a conceited fellow.—De Vere (1872).
Nimshod, subs. (common).—A cat.
Nincompoop (or nickumpoop),
subs. (common).—An impotent
ass.—B. E. (c. 1696); New Cant.
Dict. (1725).
1673. Shadwell, Epsom Wells, ii., in Wks. (1720), ii., 217. Yes, you nicompoop! you are a pretty fellow to please a woman indeed!
1677. Wycherley, Plain Dealer, ii. Wid. Thou senseless, impertinent, quibbling, drivelling, feeble, paralytic, nincompoop!
1706. Ward, Hudibras Redivivus, i., x., p. 9. Thus did the sundry Female Troops, Conducted by their nincompoops, In scatt'ring Numbers, jostling meet.
1764. Foote, Mayor of Garratt, i. I come, lovy. Trot, nincompoop.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Nickumpoop, or nincumpoop, one who never saw his wife's
1821. Scott, Kenilworth, xi. Wayland Smith expressed . . . his utter scorn for a nincompoop who stuck his head under his wife's apron-string.
1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, &c., s.v. Nincum-poop, a term of derision, applied by a young lass to her lover, who presses not his suit with vigour enough.
1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, ii., 367. Ackland would have called him a snob, and Buckland a nincoompoop.
1855. Punch's Almanack, 'A Farmer's opinion of Conscience Money.' Wha-at? send more income payments oop? You think I bees an incoompoop?
1883. Greenwood, Odd People, 101. His behaviour is that of the most consummate nincom, that ever was led with an apron-string.
Nine. Nine Tailors make a
man. See Ninth.
Nine-bob-square, adv. (obsolete).—Out
of shape.
Nine corns, subs. phr. (obsolete).—A
pipeful of tobacco.
Nine-eyed, adj. (old).—Observant.
1694. Plautus made English, Pref. A damnable, prying, nine ey'd witch.
Ninepence, subs. (common).—The
female pudendum: see Monosyllable.
[An echo, on a liberal
display of leg or underclothing,
of the old alliterative retort, "Up
to the Knees and ninepence,"]
Cf. Money.
Neat (nice, or right) as
ninepence, phr. (common).—All
right; correct to a nicety.
Also cf. alliterative proverb, 'A
nimble ninepence is better than
a slow shilling']. Cf. Nimble.
1850. F. E. Smedley, Frank Fairlegh, li. Well, let her say 'no' as if she meant it, said Lawless; women can, if they like, eh? and then it will all be as right as ninepence.
1864. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, i., ix. And with you and me leaning back inside, as grand as ninepence!
1882. Daily Telegraph, 7 Oct., 3, 1. When asked how he was getting on . . . he replied that he was 'right as ninepence, 'cepting a bit of rheumatism in his left shoulder.'
1884. T. Ashe; in Temple Bar, August, 525. The trick of alliteration is often useful to give point to old proverbs. In such familiar sayings as 'fine as fivepence,' nice as ninepence, 'to lie by the legend,' its importance is most curious.
1886. R. A. King, in Household Words, 19 June, 147. She . . . sent her children, neat as ninepence, to school and church on Sunday.
Ninepins, subs. (common).—Life
in general.
1879. Sims, Dagonet Ballads, 'Told to the Missionary.' It's a cold I caught last year, as has tumbled my ninepins over, and lef me a-dyin' here.
Nines. Up to the nines, phr.
(common).—To perfection.
d.1796. Burns (attributed to), Pastoral Poetry. Thou paints auld nature to the nines In thy sweet Caledonian lines.
