The word 'nick' is a good old British expression which has various meanings. In this post, we'll focus on 3 key points. If you are a fan of British police dramas, this will be of particular interest.
① To be in good condition 良好な状態で
To be in good nick means to be in good condition. We can use this for things and also for people.
This sofa is in good nick.
This lady is in good nick for her age!
For things it’s usually used for stuff that would get broken and damaged over time.
I picked up this old guitar from a charity shop, but it’s in pretty good nick.
Pretty good nick is a very common way of saying it’s not perfect, but very usable.
My grandad’s car is 50 years old and still running. He keeps it in good nick.
To keep something in good nick means it is well maintained.
I’ve dropped my smartphone about a million times, but it’s still in good nick.
This means even although we would expect it to be damaged, it is STILL in good nick.
Let’s see how to use it for talking about older people who are still active and healthy.
My grandma is 94 and still does her own shopping. She’s in good nick for her age.
We often use in good nick + something.
In good nick for 94.
In good nick for an old lady.
In good nick for a pensioner.
I hope I’ll still be in good nick by the time I retire. I want to enjoy my life.
Again for people, we can use the expression STILL in good nick
I can’t believe you’re 75. You’re in great nick for your age! What’s your secret?
I’m sure we all want to be in great nick for as long as possible, wouldn’t you agree?
KEY POINT
In the negative way we don’t say in bad nick
My car is in bad nick. ❌
We always say not in good nick
My car is not in very good nick. ⭕️
② To steal 盗む
We can also use nick as a verb. It means to steal, It can be used for big things and little things from a car to an idea.
I had my car nicked last year.
In the UK unfortunately this is a very common crime.
When I go to the toilet, don’t nick my spot on the couch!
I hear this a lot in my house. In the UK we often use the word 'couch' instead of 'sofa.'
We were broken into last night. They nicked my tv, playstation and my new apple watch!
To be/get broken into means for a thief to come into your house and nick your stuff.
③ To arrest 逮捕
The next way of using nick is again as a verb. It means to arrest someone. You’ll often hear this one in British Police Dramas such as
Line of Duty
Criminal UK
Bodyguard
By the way you can enjoy all these dramas on Netflix. But the most famous line of all is this
‘YOU’RE NICKED!’
The drug dealer was nicked in front of King’s Cross Station in London
If you drink and drive in the UK, you’ll get yourself nicked and lose your lisence.
🇬🇧 This is also called drink driving in the UK
🇺🇸 and drunk driving in North America
The official term is DUI which stands for Driving Under the Influence.
I saw 2 police officers nicking a young lady for being drunk and disorderly. Serves her right!
‘Serves her right’ means she got what she deserved
One final point. In the UK, the police station is often referred to as 'THE NICK.'
Conclusion
The word 'nick' basically has 3 different meanings. The next time you watch a British drama on TV - watch out for it. Please watch the VIDEO LESSON on YouTube!
Thanks for reading!
Couch | ソファ |
Charity shop | リサイクル・ショップ - 慈善団体が資金調達のため、寄付してもらった中古品を販売する店 |
Get/be Broken into | 泥棒に入られる |
Drink driving UK | 飲酒運転 |
Drunk Driving US | 飲酒運転 |
DUI - Driving Under the Influence | 飲酒および麻薬の影響下の運転 |
Drug dealer | ヤクの売人 |
Lose your lisence | 運転免許を取り消される |
Serves you right | ざまあみろ 自業自得 当然の報いだ |
Drunk and disorderly | 酔って暴れて |