nokes, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

nokes n.

[John-a-Nokes was, with Tom-a-Stiles, the precursor of John Doe and Richard Roe in legal jargon as generic names for otherwise anonymous plaintiffs and defendants; Also James Nokes, a comic actor of the Duke’s Company in 1660s who was celebrated for his portrayal of solemn fools, incl. Sir Nicholas Cully in Ethrege’s The Comical Revenge; or, Love in a Tub]

a fool, a dullard.

[1523		Skelton Colyn Cloute (1550) Bi: What care they [...] Of Jacke of the Noke The pore people they yoke with sommons and citacyons].
[1593		G. Harvey Pierce’s Supererogation 71: Written by one, that dares call a Dog a Dog. Imprinted by Iohn Anoke, and Iohn Astile, for the Bayly of Withernam].
1675		Rochester ‘Tunbridge Wells’ in Works (1999) 49: As wise as Calf it looked, as big as Bully, / But handled, prov’ds a meere Sir Nicholas Cully; / A Bawling Fop, a Natural Nokes.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Nokes a Ninny or Fool, also a noted Droll but lately Dead.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1772		Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 207: But who are you, good Mr. nokes, / That gape as if you’d swallow folks.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1842		R. Barham ‘The Lay of St. Cuthbert’ Ingoldsby Legends (1889) 324: Why are Ralph Ufford and Marny away? And De Nokes, and De Styles.