dick

I. n

1.

the penis. This use of the word has been widespread in the English-speaking world since the end of the 19th century. It is probably an affectionate personifica-tion in origin in the same way as willie, etc. This sense of the word is sometimes extended to mean sex in general, as in 'Suzy loves dick'.

► 'Not all women in pop are, or ever have been, brainless bimbos lured into lurex by cynical rock business shitheads with one eye on their cheque books and the other on their dicks.' (Ms London magazine, 4 September 1989)

2.

a fool (invariably male). Dick has this secondary sense in common with most slang terms for the male member, such as prick, tool, etc.

3.

nothing at all. A vulgar emphatic more commonly heard in America and in vogue since the mid-1970s. Its sense is roughly equivalent to the British bugger-all.

► 'What do those gimps do all day?' 'They do dick.'

4.

a detective. Almost invariably in the phrase private dick. This Americanism, popularised in crime fiction, originated in underworld jargon as a corruption of the word 'detective' itself.

See also dickless Tracy

II. vb

1.

to have sex (with), penetrate. A pre-dictable but rare term, generated from the noun sense of dick.

2.

British

to look at. A variation of the Romany dik, meaning to look, from which dekko may be derived. This rare term is occasionally heard among tramps, street traders, etc.

See also dekko

3.

to mess up, mess around (with). A variant of dick around or dick up.

She completely dicked the project.