Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) nonsense!

1929		W. Winchell On Broadway 10 Aug. [synd. col.] ‘Oh nerts!’ groaned John Chapman, the critic.
1930		Judge (NY) 98 n.p.: A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, huh! Well, all Judge, Jr., has to say is ‘Nerts.’ I'm glad it’s all over.
1931		Eddie Cantor ‘Cheer Up! Smile! Nertz!’ 🎵 Let’s hang the fat-head to a tree! Cheer up, smile, nertz!
1932		J.L. Kuethe ‘Johns Hopkins Jargon’ in AS VII:5 329: aw nertz—‘Its absurd’; ‘nonsense’; an expression of disgust.
1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl. 40: gnerts, ex. Pshaw, bunk!
1933		B. Ross Tragedy of Z 107: Nerts! Listen, Pat, be serious.
1934		R. Chandler ‘Finger Man’ in Pearls Are a Nuisance (1964) 115: Nerts! You seem to forget I know why Lou was killed.
1937		T. Thursday ‘Little Boy Blooey’ in Ten Story Sports July 🌐 ‘Nertz to you, feller!’ snapped the referee.
1940		J. Archibald ‘No PLace Like Homicide’ in Popular Detective Apr. 🌐 ‘Ah-h, nerts with him,’ the male character said.
1941		J. Archibald ‘Alibi Bye’ in Popular Detective June 🌐 Of course Detective Aloysius Kelly had shown uncanny speed in the solving of the Capstan liquidation. ‘Nerts,’ Willie sneered.
1942		W. Winchell ‘On Broadway’ 17 Mar. [synd. col.] ‘I am the victim of a vindictive campaign’ [...] ‘Oh nertz!’.
1963		L. Deighton Horse Under Water (1976) 77: Nerts to the big-time art guys, I said.
1971		R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 145: All I could think to say was, ‘Nerts’.
1979		Fantastic Four Annual 8: To that Rubber Man, I say – Nertz.