niks, noun

/nəks//nɪks/
Forms:
Also nicks, nix.
Origin:
Afrikaans, EnglishShow more Afrikaans, reinforced by the general English nix.
colloquial
1. ‘Nothing’, in various senses.
1860 A.W. Drayson Sporting Scenes 146There we were, with a few biscuits, beltong, powder, shot, and guns, a hundred miles from help. This distance would have been ‘nix’ (nothing) if we could only have procured water.
[1864 S. Turner in D. Child Portrait of Pioneer (1980) 20Little things like that must be expected out here. If that were the worst it would be, as the Dutch say, nix (nothing).]
1897 E. Glanville Tales from Veld 278I could tell there was some crittur there that they didn’t like..but I could see nix beyond a rock or tree stump.
1899 ‘S. Erasmus’ Prinsloo 118Would it not be patriotic if you offered to give for nix sufficient of your outside stands to rebuild the offices on?
1900 S.T. Plaatje Boer War Diary (1973) 103I have been on horseback from early till late during the last 2 days — and all that for ‘niks’.
1907 J.P. Fitzpatrick Jock of Bushveld (Glossary) 472Nix, (D), nothing (from D. niets).
1913 D. Fairbridge Piet of Italy 150‘That is better then nix,’ she said.
1924 L. Cohen Reminisc. of Jhb. 130The shares..went up to £9 10s., and now stand at nix — which is a very good quotation for them.
1956 D. Jacobson Dance in Sun 68‘What’s the matter with your eyes?’ Frank asked. ‘Niks’ the man replied, sniffing.
1966 J. Taylor ‘Mommy I’d Like to Be’. (lyrics)Eleven times eleven is ’leventy-’leven, And nought times nought is niks.
1975 ‘Blossom’ in Darling 29 Jan. 103You see? Fired. For niks. The story of my life.
1975 ‘Blossom’ in Darling 26 Feb. 111‘You wanna bet?’ Sampie reckons, sticking out his jaw. ‘That Boy’s for niks, man. Couldn’t hurt a fly.’
1977 F.G. Butler Karoo Morning 100By lunch time Stone was near to tears. I asked him, ‘What’s up?’ ‘He says my arm makeers [is wrong] nicks.’
1980 J. Mullins in Fair Lady 19 Nov. 384Take four extremely mature students, with language skills ranging from niks to not bad.
1985 W.O. Ka Mtetwa in Staffrider Vol.6 No.2, 44They knew nix about trade unions.
1989 F.G. Butler Tales from Old Karoo 120Nothing has been prepared,..no reassuring bastions of coffee, rusks and koeksisters..niks, man, niks.
1990 J. Naidoo Coolie Location 192Without a regular income, I was nothing, niks and bugger-all.
1992 M. Tyala in Evening Post 27 Mar. 10‘I’m well, thank you,’ I say patiently awaiting identification. Niks. The caller just fires away with his business. You are supposed to have recognised the voice, you see.
‖2. combinations
niksdoen/ˈnəksdun/ [Afrikaans, doen do], inaction, doing nothing;
niks-nie/ˈnəksni/ [Afrikaans, nie negative particle, part of the double negative structure], the emphatic ‘nothing at all’;
niksnuts/ˈnəksnəts/ [Afrikaans, ‘useful for nothing’ (nut use, usefulness)], a useless, good-for-nothing person.
1968 W.K. Hancock Smuts II. 218White civilization was in danger..because Smuts stood for niksdoen, for ‘letting the situation develop’, which meant letting white civilization drift on to the rocks.
1910 J. Runcie Idylls by Two Oceans 98The Boy..demanded what the devil the coloured gentleman was laughing at...‘Nicks-nie,’ said Mahommet Ali, sheepishly.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 340Nix,..Nothing. Nix-nie, nothing at all.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 340Nixnuts,..Applied to (1) a person who is neither clever not capable; (2) it is used also of a rogue.
1970 M.B. Smit Informant, Johannesburg, GautengHe’s a real niksnuts — I can’t bear him.
‘Nothing’, in various senses.
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18601992
nikkies, verb transitivev.niks, verb transitivev.
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