Nix

or nicks, adv. (common).—Nothing. Also NIX MY DOLL, and (American), NIXY and NIXY-CULLY. SYNONYMS. Ack (Christ’s Hospital); love; nib, niberque, niberte, nif, nisce, nix (French); niba, niberto (Italian); nexo (Spanish).

  1789.  G. PARKER, Life’s Painter, p. 143. NICKS. How they have brought a German word into cant I know not, but NICKS means nothing in the cant language.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v.

  1824.  P. EGAN, Boxiana, iv., 444. Men who can be backed for large stakes do seldom fight for NIX (comically called ‘love’).

  1852.  Old Song, ‘The Cadger’s Ball’ [FARMER, Musa Pedestris (1896), 147].

  1858.  A. MAYHEW, Paved with Gold, III., 1, p. 254. Do you see all this land? said he … well, the grandfather of this here Lord Southwark got it for NIX.

  1887.  W. E. HENLEY, Villon’s Straight Tip to all Cross Coves, 3. For NIX, for NIX the dibbs you bag.

  1892.  Ally Sloper’s Half Holiday, 19 March, 90, 3.

  2.  (American).—See quot.

  1885.  U. S. Official P.O. Guide, Jan., 685. NIXES is a term used in the railway mail service to denote matter of domestic origin, chiefly of the second and first class, which is unmailable because addressed to places which are not post-offices, or to States, etc., in which there is no such post-office as that indicated in the address.

  Intj. (common).—See quot.

  1883.  Indoor Paupers, 45. So the thing goes on until some one on the watch cries, ‘NIX lads, buttons!’—the warning that the taskmaster is at hand.

  NIX MY DOLL, phr. (common).—Never mind! [Popularised by Ainsworth’s song.] Also (VAUX) = nothing.

  1819.  J. H. VAUX, Memoirs, s.v.

  1834.  W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, ‘Jenny Juniper’s Chaunt.’

  1846.  Punch’s Almanack, ‘Song of September’ (after Ainsworth).