Green’s Dictionary of Slang

lost, failed.

1898

N. Clifford [perf. Vesta Tilley] In the Pale Moonlight 🎵 He puts his last shilling on ‘Do-Be-Quick’ / And finds, like his money, it's 'down the nick'.

in a bad state or condition; also used with other negative adjs., e.g. poor.

1966		W.W. Ammon Wheel Tracks 132: We might get away with them—they’re not in bad nick and they’ll do twice the work of a horse.
1974		P. Adam-Smith Barcoo Salute 139: The sheep [...] when they’re in poor nick, they’ll go at the pace they can manage.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 37: One of Bladesey’s mince pies is in much worse nick than the other so one lens is far thicker.
2004		L. Laube Llama for Lunch 218: I don’t know whether the shop people fed it but it didn’t look in bad nick.

of a person or thing, in good condition; also used with other positive adjs., e.g. decent, great etc.

1886		Week (Brisbane) 27 Mar. 21/3: His trainer, S Cutts, is deserving of the greatest praise in keeping this now famous son of King Cole in such good nick for so long a time, for there is no doubt he went to the post as fit as hands could make him.
1889		Dead Bird (Sydney) 16 Nov. 6/2: Both lads are in great nick.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 5 Apr. 7/3: The Sydney Harrier champions are getting into good nick for the coming championship.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 24 Jan. 2/4: He must have been in better ‘nick’ than many of the boys engaged.
1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Dec. 14/1: But she got that fall in the Sheoak Cup, / So I gave her a spell till the wound healed up. Then I got her in ‘nick’ for a meeting in Hay, / An’ she won a double for me that day.
1916		C.J. Dennis ‘A Gallant Gentleman’ in Moods of Ginger Mick 117: ’E’s took me ’and, an’ said ’e’s in great nick.
1926		K.S. Prichard Working Bullocks 200: Said I’d better tell the boss to see the old raft was in good nick.
1957		‘Nino Culotta’ They’re a Weird Mob (1958) 83: I ain’t skinny. Just in good nick, that’s all.
1967		N. Dunn Poor Cow 106: Two bedrooms, kitchen and balcony – only three quid a week and in perfect nick.
1973		B.S. Johnson All Bull 99: I want you to find me a twelve-horsepower engine in good nick.
1989		T. Blacker Fixx 76: A VC, in decent nick, could fetch upwards of £500.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 382: An octogenarian lady, snow-white hair and decrepit face but otherwise actually in good nick.
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 114: He’s in good nick for a older fella too.
2002		R.G. Barrett Mystery Bay Blues 135: ‘It [i.e. a house] was built in the eighteen hundreds.’ ‘It’s in bloody good nick’.
2021		L. McInerney Rules of Revelation 11: She was in great nick and wasn’t keen on people knowing it.
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 37: The libbages were in good nick, the beds all made.