Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. the Devil; often as Old Nick n.

1637		J. Taylor Drinke and Welcome 3: It seeme a Nick’t name to the world.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk IV 138: Thos who, by Nick’las led astray, / Wilfully make themselves away.
1678		S. Butler Hudibras Pt III canto 1 lines 1313–14: Nick Machiavel had ne’er a trick, / Tho’ he gave his name to our old Nick.
1759–67		Sterne Tristram Shandy (1949) 87: And Nick, he said, was the Devil.
1794		‘Peter Pindar’ ‘Exposulatory Odes’ Works (1794) II 340: What! Milton, always plaguing the poor Devil! For ever beating Nick about the head!
1815		Hants Chron. 14 Aug. 2/5: The Devil to him did say— Unless you assist your old friend, namesake Nick, the game is quite up.
1837		R.M. Bird Nick of the Woods I 62: Why, a dead Ingun, to be sure, with Nick’s mark on him.
1838		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 10 Nov. 94/2: Here lies underneath / A rogue, Henry Keith / A deep and bad soul, / [...] / He now teaches sly Nick / Many a high trick.
1843		L.H. Medina Nick of the Woods I ii: col. b.: Why Nick. Nick of the Woods! roland: And who is Nick of the Woods? col. b.: There, captain, you’re too hard for me [...] there’s many think he’s the devil.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn).
1892		E.W. Rogers ‘Galtimore Banshee’ 🎵 ’Twould have frightened Nick himself, boys, lave alone an honest Pat.
1914		E. Wittmann ‘Clipped Words’ in DN IV:ii 123: Nick, [...] The devil.
1929		E. Booth Stealing Through Life 45: What in the name of Nick has got into you?
1973		(con. 1940s–60s) Hogbotel & ffuckes ‘The Kings Cross Harlot’s Ball’ in Snatches and Lays 57: And then I went down to hell, / ’Cos me and Nick we get on well.

2. (Aus.) constr. with the, cheek, audacity.

1909

Truth (Brisbane) 10 Oct. 12/6: ‘I suppose you’d have the ‘nick’ to tell me [etc]’.