Old Nick en · PROPN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Originally 17th century. Apparently a special use of the forename Nick, perhaps in jocular or contrastive reference to Saint Nicholas. Alternatively, it may be derived from nicker, or some other derivative of Old English nicor (“water demon”).
Meanings
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The Devil; Satan.
He sat down in the middle of the floor, took his chalk out and marked a large ring around him, and round about this he wrote the Lord's Prayer, and then he did not feel afraid even if Old Nick himself should come.
1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 158:
Synonyms
Diabolus · Old Nick · Father of Lies · Old Serpent · Azazel · Evil One · Devil · Prince of Demons · Enemy · Satan · Son of the Dawn · Old Ned · Iblis · Sam Scratch · Old Gentleman · Dragon · Old Scratch · Beelzebub · Serpent · lord of the flies · Antichrist · Prince of Evil · Old One · leviathan · Ash-Shaytan · Jack Ketch · Aduwallah · Old Serpent · Beast · Adversary · Mephistopheles · Old Harry · Old Hairy · deuce · cosmocrat · Lucifer · Al-Shaytaan · dickens · bogey · Prince of Darkness · deceiver · Old Scratch · Old Harry · archfiend · Gog · shaitan · diablo