Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an unpleasant, insignificant person, usu. male.

1631		A. Wilson The Swisser II i: Yee nigling Ticks you!
1803		‘A Pembrochian’ Gradus ad Cantabrigiam 24: The most boring of all animals is what is called a Tick, one who will stick closer than a brother.
1914		‘Ian Hay’ Lighter Side of School Life 178: Great Scott, how should I know all the rotten little ticks in the Lower School?
1922		Wodehouse Clicking of Cuthbert 124: Oh, well, a tick’s a tick, and there’s nothing more to say.
1935		M. Harrison Spring in Tartarus 335: Listen, you blackmailing little tick.
1940		N. Mitchison Among You Taking Notes 26 Oct. 98: The chairman [...] is Bruce who was Editor of the Glasgow Herald a long time ago, and was a tick then.
1958		Willans & Searle Complete Molesworth (1985) 10: Until we are called on to tough up a few junior ticks.
1961		‘Frank Richards’ Billy Bunter at Butlins 55: Look here, you cheeky little ticks.
1972		B. Hannah Geronimo Rex 265: I wanted to reclaim myself from being the tick I was that night with her.
1982		R.M. Brown Southern Discomfort (1983) 141: This prohibition victory puffs him up, the tick.
1999		Observer Rev. 20 June 4: That tick Johnny Depp greeting you insouciantly with a ‘Hey Rich.’.
2017		Guardian CiF 11 June 🌐 There are too many people here who will apparently defend this tick [i.e. D. Trump] no matter what.

2. (US campus) an overweight person.

1975		G. Underwood ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 68: tick n 1: Overweight person.
1997		J. Birmingham Tasmanian Babes Fiasco (1998) 211: A couple of big, fat ticks, corruption oozing from every pore.

3. (US campus) a greedy or selfish person.

1975		G. Underwood ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 68: tick n [...] 2: One who is greedy or selfish.
1989		R. Dahl Rhyme Stew (1990) 57: That Hansel! Cripes, that little tick! / To watch him eat, it makes me sick!