Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1804-1933
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NICKUM, n. Also nickam, -em, -im, -om, niccum, knickum. An imp, scamp, rogue, mischievous boy (Abd., Fif. 1825 Jam.; ne. and em.Sc. (a), Ayr. 1964), now gen. used half-playfully. [′nɪkəm]Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 97:
By the cuff he's led alang, An' settl'd wi' some niccum, In quad yon night.Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes 128:
An' nane wad hae kent that the whisker'd dragoon Was the same tricky nickem — Jean Finlater's loun.Bnff. 1867 Old Trees in Scot. 245:
"The young English nickom", for this was the reputation he [Byron] enjoyed, even at that time.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb iii.:
"The loon," who was of that particular character fitly described as "a roy't nickum."Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 28:
'Twas the wee nickum, Love, played the mischief a'.Gall. 1896 Crockett Cleg Kelly xvii.:
A gang of the most high-toned "nickums" in the whole city.Kcd. 1933 L. G. Gibbon Cloud Howe 177:
He fair could slide, that nickum of a loon.
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"Nickum n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/nickum>
