The patient's life was saved. on: function(evt, cb) { })(); Want writing tips delivered straight to your inbox? } At the last possible moment before a deadline or before something begins or ends; just in time. event : evt, the junction between the floor and side walls in a squash court or real tennis court. } IN THE NICK, KNICK, OR GNICK OF TIME? The phrase “nick of time” is in reference to a measurement of time, as in a measurement between nicks on a stick. In this vein, I’ve seen “nick of time” written a number of ways—“knick of time” and even “gnick of time” among them. He must be a time-traveler. To mar; to deface; to make ragged, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to create a nick{2} in, deliberately or accidentally; as, to nick the rim of a teacup. He remembered in the nick of time that his passport was in his coat pocket. #28 – Why “Soccer” instead of “Football,” Americans? That car moved off the track in the nick of time—another moment and the train would have smashed into it. “Knicks” is an abbreviation of “Knickerbockers,” meaning a resident of New York or the. forms: { The first term began life as in the nick and dates from the 1500s, when … This is a historical phrase, also called an idiom. It may refer to: A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment. I reached the airport in the very nick of time and made my flight. (function() { “Nick” is a name, but “nick” is also the word for a small notch, chip, or wound; the action of making this small notch, chip, or wound; and the action of stealing, among other definitions. Nick (noun) A cut in a surface. See also: nick, of, time. "banks will be nicked for an extra $40 million", "I got up and got dressed and nicked off". A particular point or place considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment. To hit the ball with the edge of the bat and produce a fine deflection. A small ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the catch. A nick was a mark put on a stick to measure time. "in the nick of time". Also, just in time. A broken or indented place in any edge or surface; as, nicks in a china plate; a nick in the table top. Writing Tip 337: “Nick of Time” vs. “Knick of Time”, Join 1,000+ subscribers and sign-up for my writing and editing email newsletter. And the right spelling is “nick.” In the “nick” of time means at the last possible moment. Nick is a masculine given name. } “Knick” isn’t actually a word. It must be “knick of time,” right? Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, in the middle of (something or some place), in the midst of something/of doing something. To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch strike at the time. Just in the nick of time, before you misspell this phrase in your next correspondence, you have your answer. The phrase “nick of time” is in reference to a measurement of time, as in a measurement between nicks on a stick. an impression in a surface (as made by a blow). She woke up just in the nick of time and raised the alarm. The doctor arrived in the nick of time. Join 1,000+ subscribers and sign-up for my writing and editing email newsletter for more tips like this. At the last minute, just in time. ", "He’s just been released from Shadwell nick [prison] after doing ten years for attempted murder. in the nick of time. To make a cross cut or cuts on the under side of (the tail of a horse, in order to make him carry it higher). It is also often encountered as a short form (hypocorism) of the given names Nicholas, Nicola, Nicolas or Nikola. That car moved off the track in the nick of time—another moment and the train would have smashed into it. “Nick” is a name, but “nick” is also the word for a small notch, chip, or wound; the action of making this small notch, chip, or wound; and the action of stealing, among other definitions. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/in+the+nick+of+time. To give or call (someone) by a nickname; to style. We do not implement these annoying types of ads! This term comes from a now obsolete meaning of. At the last moment, as in The police arrived in the nick of time, or He got there just in time for dinner. Interestingly, the “nick” of “a nick in time” traces its roots back to the Old English word gehnycned and the Old Norse word hnykla, both meaning “to wrinkle.” If you’re a fan of Madeleine L’Engle‘s A Wrinkle in Time, allow your mind now to be blown. We've detected that you are using AdBlock Plus or some other adblocking software which is preventing the page from fully loading. You got here in the nick of time—we're just about to start the show. He got to the railway station in the nick of time. You got here in the nick of time—we're just about to start the show. Writing Tip 410: Is it “quote unquote” or “quote end quote”? One of the segments produced during nick translation. However, plain old “nick” is the correct form for this idiom. To make a nick or nicks in; to notch; to keep count of or upon by nicks; as, to nick a stick, tally, etc. Seriously, why? Example: We got to the airport in the nick of time. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { A notch cut shank of a type, to assist a placing it properly in the stick, and in distribution. Nick (noun) A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment. Right? At the last possible moment before a deadline or before something begins or ends; just in time. To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time. #31 – Poets, Manifestos, Trying Harder & the Latest in Words You Should Know, #30 – Shakespeare’s English, Space Travel & the Latest in Words You Should Know, #29 – AI, Suffragettes, Bloomers & the Latest in Words You Should Know, The Words You Should Know podcast is back! "The car I bought was cheap and in good nick. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Writing Tip 407: “Instance” vs. “Instant” (vs. “Instances” vs. “Instants”), Writing Tip 406: “Vibrance” vs. “Vibrancy”. Writing Tip 409: “Normalcy” vs. “Normality”. Please add askdifference.com to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software. ", "a user’s reserved nick on an IRC network". We don't have any banner, Flash, animation, obnoxious sound, or popup ad. ", "He was arrested and taken down to Sun Hill nick [police station] to be charged. (mini-episode). { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( No, that doesn’t sound right. listeners: [], To suit or fit into, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with. Nick (noun) Senses connoting something small. in the ordinary, normal, etc. Writing Tip 408: How does “Layout” become a Verb? ); callback: cb To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way. "he'll end up in the nick for the rest of his life". This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Nick (noun) A notch cut shank of a type, to assist a … in the nick of time. “Knick” isn’t actually a word. Just at the critical moment; just in time. In the expressions in bad nick and in good nick: condition, state. So there you have it. Sometimes our brains want to over-complicate things, believing the simple answer can’t be right and that it must be something more profound. } We need money to operate the site, and almost all of it comes from our online advertising. course of events, things, etc. To make a cuts on the tail of a horse, in order to make the carry it higher). Who is this Nick we speak of? They got to the hospital in the nick of time, just as the baby was about to be born. "The police nicked him climbing over the fence of the house he’d broken into.".