First attested in 1599. Origin uncertain, but likely borrowed from dialectal Norwegian nigla (“to be stingy, to busy oneself with trifles”), ultimately from Old Norse hnøggr (“stingy; miserly”), related to Old English hnēaw (“stingy; niggardly”). More at niggard.
Meanings
A minor complaint or problem.
He declared that it would take until the early New Year for all the faults and niggles to be ironed out, and that the rest of 2019 would be deemed to be a 'bedding in' period. 2020 January 2, Richard Clinnick, “After some alarms, Sleeper awakens”, in Rail, page 47:
The Olympic medal contender's back problem has been described as a "niggle" by the head coach, Charles van Commenee, but Porter's friend and former team-mate Danielle Carruthers revealed that the injury is playing on the Briton's mind. 2012, Anna Kessel, “London 2012: Christian Taylor aims high as Phillips Idowu stays away”, in The Guardian:
First attested in 1599. Origin uncertain, but likely borrowed from dialectal Norwegian nigla (“to be stingy, to busy oneself with trifles”), ultimately from Old Norse hnøggr (“stingy; miserly”), related to Old English hnēaw (“stingy; niggardly”). More at niggard.
Meanings
(obsolete, transitive) To trifle with; to deceive; to mock.
I shall so feed your fierce vexation , And raise your worship ' s storms ; I shall so niggle you , And juggle you , and fiddle you , and firk you c. 1621, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Pilgrim”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
(transitive) To use, spend, or do in a petty or trifling manner.
(intransitive) To dwell too much on minor points or on trifling details.
(UK, intransitive) To fidget, fiddle, be restless.
(UK, archaic, dialectal, intransitive) To walk with short steps.
I can see him now with his one eye closed as he came niggling along, and didn't he just give me a grandfather's blessing! 1893, Fores's Sporting Notes & Sketches, page 177:
hu kukacoskodik (to dwell too much on minor points) · hu akadékoskodik (to dwell too much on minor points) · cs piplat se (to dwell too much on minor points) · nl muggenziften (to dwell too much on minor points) · bg суетя се (to fidget, to fiddle, to be restless) · nl frunniken (to fidget, to fiddle, to be restless) · hu fészkelődik (to fidget, to fiddle, to be restless) · hu kötekedik (to dwell too much on minor points) · fi niuhottaa (to dwell too much on minor points) · nl peuteren (to fidget, to fiddle, to be restless) · hu szőröz (to dwell too much on minor points) · hu izeg-mozog (to fidget, to fiddle, to be restless) · ru суети́ться (to fidget, to fiddle, to be restless) · cs nimrat se (to dwell too much on minor points) · hu mocorog (to fidget, to fiddle, to be restless)