Dickens

Origin of: Dickens

Dickens

This mild slang expletive from the 16th century originally stems from Dicken or Dickon, diminutives of Dick, which besides being a common name was also a euphemism for the devil. Shakespeare used the expression in Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III, Scene II, “I cannot tell what the dickens his name is.” See also blazes, deuce.