dickens

See also: Dickens

English

Etymology

Origin: 1590–1600; apparently a fanciful use of the proper name Dicken, diminutive form of Dick.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪkɪnz/, /ˈdɪkənz/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪkənz

Noun

dickens

1. (euphemistic) The devil.

   She can go to the dickens for what she said.

   You scared the dickens out of me.

2. In the phrase the dickens (Used as an intensifier).

   Why the dickens did he do that?

   We had the dickens of a row.

   • 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 123:

     "What the dickens does it all mean? The Martians can't get out of their pit, can they?"

3. A disturbance or row.
   • 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things:

     Hugh considered saying, Then I guess I'll just have to kick you a few times instead, you frog son of a bitch. Then he thought of that fat bastard Keeton, handing him a pink slip for kicking up dickens in the local tavern.

   • 2013, Robert C. Sickels, “Acknowledgments”, in 100 Entertainers Who Changed America: An Encyclopedia of Pop Culture Luminaries, Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, LLC, →ISBN:

     And lastly, thanks to my children, Dutch and Tallulah, for allowing me to see the magic of everything I love about popular culture anew through their eyes. This one is for you two dickens!

Synonyms

• (intensifier): on earth, the hell, the devil, the heck, the fuck

Derived terms

• play the dickens with
• the dickens you say

 

See also

• Dickensian

References

• Random House Dictionary

Anagrams

• snicked