What it means
A proper multi-use bit of Brit slang. To nick something is to steal it, usually something quick and cheeky. The nick is the police station, and if you’re in the nick you’ve been banged up. Then there’s in good nick, meaning something’s in decent condition. Same word, three lives, so listen for the context.
Usage examples
"Someone’s nicked my bike outside the offie and I’m fuming. My mate goes, You did lock it, yeah? I go, Nah."
"Someone nicked my umbrella from the office again."
"The car's old but it's in good nick, runs like a dream."
Where it comes from
All three senses spring from the old to nick, to catch or snip: nicking goods is snatching them, getting nicked is being caught by the police, and the nick is the cell you land in. In good nick keeps the older sense of a precise, sound notch.
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