Green’s Dictionary of Slang

himself.

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 123: A coxcomical fellow is spoken of as ‘his nabs.’.
1835		Metropolitan Mag. XIV Sept. 334: May I [...] be smothered if I had not sent a bit of blue pigeon through his nabs.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 139/2: We call everybody ‘his nabs,’ or ‘her nabs’.
1896		Ade Artie (1963) 20: His nabs with the banner on his coat come around and begins to roast her.
1901		Eve. Teleg. (Dundee) 19 Feb. 5/4: His nabs thinks he’s a better man than me.

1. myself.

1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 139/2: The slang for [...] ‘I have got no money’ is, ‘My nabs has nanti dinali’.
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1875		Manchester Eve. News 29 Jan. 3/2: I could not get [my hand] up , but I gave him this (showing his fist) and did this (putting his hand to his throat) while my nabs got it.
1887		Ribton-Turner Hist. of Vagrants and Vagrancy 477: The same system prevails in North Country cant in the present day: ‘my nabs,’ myself; ‘his nabs,’ himself.

2. used to refer to a third party, i.e. ‘him’ or ‘her’.

1827		W. Clarke Every Night Book 181: ‘Now,’ says he, collaring my nabs, ’I’ve got you’.
1833		Bath Chron. 26 Dec. 4/2: A few days ago I mets my nabs here, and says [etc.].
1844		Era (London) 28 July 7/4: Oakley caught my nabs on the cheek.
1855		Bell’s Life in Sydney 28 Apr. 2/7: My nabs there in the witness box was sitting on a stone.
1858		A. Mayhew Paved with Gold 255: We’ve ‘bilked’ (swindled) my nabs out of his ‘pig’ (sixpence).
1863		Sherborne Mercury 1 Sept. 5/1: P.C. Clarke [...] followed ‘my nabs’ who commenced using procative threats.
1895		‘’Arry on Harry’ in Punch 24 Aug. 90/1: What’s needled my nabs, it appears, / Is being mistaken for Me!!!
1902		Reading Mercury 23 Aug. 10/4: When my nabs gets ashore he offs to the Revny officers and says he’s got a summat ter’ble heavy on his conscience.
1914		Joyce ‘Counterparts’ Dubliners (1956) 91: Then he imitated Farringdon, saying, ‘And here was my nabs, as cool as you please’.
1939		‘Flann O’Brien’ At Swim-Two-Birds 75: One morning Slug and Shorty and myself [...] got the wire to saddle and ride up to Drumcondra to see my nabs Mr. Tracy to get our orders.
1950		B. Nolan (Myles na gCoplaeen) ‘The Martyr’s Crown’ in Envoy Feb. 61: What do you think, only two lurries packed with military, with my nabs of an officer hopping out and running up the steps .

3. used as a form of direct address.

1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 23: Nabs – a person either sex; a familiar way of talking; as, How are you, my Nabs?
1840		Flash Mirror 20: If any of my knabbs will lay out ready grease, he pawns himself to serve them rummy.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open [as cit. 1835].
1850		Fast Man 12:1 n.p.: ‘Is it the Cheshire, my nabs?’.
1890		‘’Arry on Equality’ in Punch 22 Feb. 85/2: But cackle and splutter ain’t swimming; so Robert, my nabs, it’s no go.