Circa 17th century, perhaps of North Germanic origin, related to Norwegian nugge, nyggje (“to push, rub, shove”), Icelandic nugga (“to rub, massage”), from the root of Proto-Germanic *hnōjaną (“to smooth, join together”), from Proto-Indo-European *kneh₂- (compare Ancient Greek κνάω (knáō, “to scratch, scrape”), source of English acnestis).
Compare also Scots nodge (“to push, poke, nudge”), knidge (“to push, squeeze”), gnidge (“to rub, press, squeeze, bruise”), and knudge (“to squeeze, press down with the knuckles”), Saterland Frisian Nukke, Nuk (“a sudden push”), Middle Low German nucke, nücke, gnücke (“a sudden push, shock, impetus”). Compare also dialectal nuch (“to tremble”), Middle English nuchen (“to tremble”).
Meanings
A gentle push.
give someone a nudge
(Internet) A feature of instant messaging software used to get the attention of another user, as by shaking the conversation window or playing a sound.
The rotation by one step of a fruit machine reel of the player's choice.
Since the machine was showing two lemons and a cherry, I decided to try a nudge.
(qualifier:behavioral economics) The use of positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence.
Manipulating behavior is old hat in the private sector, where advertisers and companies have been nudging consumers for decades. Just think of strategically placed chocolate bars at the checkout counter. But in public policy, nudge proponents study human behavior to try to figure out why people sometimes make choices that they themselves would consider poor. Then they test small changes in how those choices are presented, to see whether people can be steered toward better decisions — like putting apples, not chocolate bars, at eye level in school cafeterias. […] It is tricky to run perfectly controlled experiments in real-life situations, but proving the worth of nudges is a central principle of the program, Mr. Halpern said. 2013 December 7, Kathrin Bennhold, “Britain’s Ministry of Nudges”, in New York Times:
All this experimentation is yielding insights into which nudges give the biggest shove. One question is whether nudges can be designed to harness existing social norms. In Copenhagen Pelle Guldborg Hansen, founder of the Danish Nudging Network, a non-profit organisation, tested two potential “social nudges” in partnership with the local government, both using symbols to try to influence choices. 2012 March 24, “Nudge nudge, think think”, in The Economist:
nl por (a gentle push) · nl zetje (a gentle push) · it incoraggiamento (behavioral economics: the use of positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence) · pdt Bucks (a gentle push) · hu oldalba bökés (a gentle push) · de Stupser (a gentle push) · mi tuke (a gentle push) · lv piebikstīšana (a gentle push) · de Rippenstoß (a gentle push) · cs postrčení (a gentle push) · ca empenta suau (a gentle push) · fr petit coup de coude (a gentle push) · de Puff (a gentle push) · fr nudge (behavioral economics: the use of positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence) · hu lökés (a gentle push) · de Schubs (a gentle push) · de Knuff (a gentle push) · fi tönäisy (a gentle push) · de Stoß (a gentle push) · fr petite tape amicale (a gentle push) · fi työntö (a gentle push) · ca cop de colze (a gentle push) · tr dürtme (a gentle push) · es pequeño empujón (a gentle push) · hu megbökés (a gentle push) · es envite (a gentle push) · bg смушкване (a gentle push) · es empujoncito (a gentle push) · sh gurkanje (a gentle push) · it spintarella (a gentle push) · sh nukanje (a gentle push) · el σκούντημα (a gentle push) · fi tuuppaaminen (behavioral economics: the use of positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence) · pt cutucão (a gentle push) · ru лёгкий толчо́к (a gentle push) · de Stups (leise oder heimlich) (a gentle push)
Circa 17th century, perhaps of North Germanic origin, related to Norwegian nugge, nyggje (“to push, rub, shove”), Icelandic nugga (“to rub, massage”), from the root of Proto-Germanic *hnōjaną (“to smooth, join together”), from Proto-Indo-European *kneh₂- (compare Ancient Greek κνάω (knáō, “to scratch, scrape”), source of English acnestis).
Compare also Scots nodge (“to push, poke, nudge”), knidge (“to push, squeeze”), gnidge (“to rub, press, squeeze, bruise”), and knudge (“to squeeze, press down with the knuckles”), Saterland Frisian Nukke, Nuk (“a sudden push”), Middle Low German nucke, nücke, gnücke (“a sudden push, shock, impetus”). Compare also dialectal nuch (“to tremble”), Middle English nuchen (“to tremble”).
Meanings
(transitive) To push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal.
Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control. 2012 January 14, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2012, page 74:
(transitive) To near or come close to something.
This year's profits are nudging the 10 million mark.
(transitive) To move slightly.
But a serious public health and economic crisis, and the responses to it from commonwealth and state governments, seems to have nudged some “protest” voters back into the major party fold. 2021 February 2, Katharine Murphy, The Guardian:
hu taszigál (to move slightly) · de anstoßen (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · cs postrčit (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · yi אַ שטורך טאָן (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · fr donner un petit coup de coude (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · nl duw geven (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · pl szturchnąć (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de sich nähern (to near or come close to something) · hu noszogat (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · ru приблизится (to near or come close to something) · hu megbök (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · hu lök (to move slightly) · it sospingere (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · mi tuketuke (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · sh gurkati (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de sich annähern (to near or come close to something) · el σκουντώ (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · ru подталкивать (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de anstupsen (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · hu oldalba bök (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · bg бутам с лакът (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · fr donner une petite tape amicale (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · sh nukati (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de anschubsen (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · es empujar ligeramente (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de stupsen (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · fi lähestyä (to near or come close to something) · cs strčit (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · lv piebikstīt (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · nl porren (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · hu megközelít (to near or come close to something) · ca fer un cop de colze (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · it lambire (to near or come close to something) · mi tute (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · yi אַ טאָרע טאָן (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de knuffen (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · es envidar (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · eo puŝeti (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · el σκουντάω (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · fi tönäistä (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de schubsen (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · ca empentar suaument (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · lv tuvoties (to near or come close to something) · hu csaknem elér (to near or come close to something) · cs přibližovat se (to near or come close to something) · nl aanstoten (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · tr dürtmek (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · de schupfen (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · ru приближаться (to near or come close to something) · mi tuke (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · hu lökdös (to move slightly) · bg смушквам (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · cs přiblížit se (to near or come close to something) · pl szturchać (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal) · es dar un empujoncito a (to push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal)
Grace is portrayed as an overly neurotic nudge who recites her own poetry, loves complicated situations, and is in the process of coming out to her liberal, middle class, Jewish parents. 1988 April 16, Monica Hileman, “Women On Stage”, in Gay Community News, page 8: