Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
his nibs
English answer:
His "lordship" (mock title)
Added to glossary by
Gayle Wallimann
Nov 26, 2003 08:23
21 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
his nibs
Non-PRO
English
Art/Literary
"Alistair McGowan's Big Impression":
"Could you live without your spouse?"
VOICE OVER
But Christine is finding it hard to be ‘home alone’.
CHRISTINE
Well it’s night now and I can’t work out how to put the light on! I know it’s silly but I’ve always been completely hopeless at anything technical. I’ve always left that up to ‘his nibs’ and now he’s not here and well I shouldn’t have to deal with this! I’ve been through enough stress in my life without that.
"Could you live without your spouse?"
VOICE OVER
But Christine is finding it hard to be ‘home alone’.
CHRISTINE
Well it’s night now and I can’t work out how to put the light on! I know it’s silly but I’ve always been completely hopeless at anything technical. I’ve always left that up to ‘his nibs’ and now he’s not here and well I shouldn’t have to deal with this! I’ve been through enough stress in my life without that.
Responses
| 5 +15 | his nibs |
Gayle Wallimann
|
| 4 +4 | him |
IanW (X)
|
| 5 | An employer, a superior; a self-important person. |
Christopher Crockett
|
Responses
+15
15 mins
Gayle Wallimann
Native in English
&
English
American in Provence
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, English to French, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
172
Selected
his nibs
It's a mock title that is given to someone who thinks they are pretty important. It's like calling him "his lordship", or "his majesty" etc, in mockery. See the link below, it is about the origin of the expression.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Derek Smith
21 mins
|
| agree |
Marijke Singer
35 mins
|
| agree |
Mario Marcolin
35 mins
|
| agree |
DGK T-I
: often/sometimes gentle or affectionate mockery:-) (nice reference)
47 mins
|
| agree |
Rajan Chopra
52 mins
|
| agree |
awilliams
: yes, and if we're talking about the Hamiltons(?).. - now there's a strange relationship!
56 mins
|
| agree |
jerrie
: 'he who must be obeyed!', 'him indoors', 'my Lord and Master'..(could it be The Hamiltons??!!)
1 hr
|
| agree |
airmailrpl
: "his lordship" or "his majesty"
1 hr
|
| agree |
Marie Scarano
1 hr
|
| agree |
Jeannie Graham
1 hr
|
| agree |
senin
2 hrs
|
| agree |
John Bowden
2 hrs
|
| agree |
NancyLynn
4 hrs
|
| agree |
Christopher Crockett
: Yes, broader than "his", it's the mocking quality that counts: "An employer, a superior; a self-important person." (OED) See below.
5 hrs
|
| agree |
Norbert Hermann
7 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much!"
+4
3 mins
him
This simply means "him", i.e. "my husband".
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Louise Mawbey
: yes, and can also mean "the boss", "his lordship" but not in this context
11 mins
|
| agree |
Gordon Darroch (X)
18 mins
|
| agree |
Rajan Chopra
1 hr
|
| agree |
awilliams
1 hr
|
5 hrs
Christopher Crockett
Native in English
&
English
M.A., Ph.D. Historian/Art Historian
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
128
An employer, a superior; a self-important person.
Gayle's got it right, and the meaning is rather broader than "his lordship". Here's the OED on the subject, with some rather humorous instances of use:
nibs. slang. [Origin obscure. ] = nabs. [SEE BELOW] Esp. his nibs,
His Nibs, an employer, a superior; a self-important person.
1821 D. Haggart Life Gloss. 172.
1846 Swell's Night Guide 57 She flokessed his nibs, and hooked it off to his crib.
1877 Brooklyn Monthly Oct. 21/2 Salute the hostess by saying: `Cully, how's his nibs?'
1882 G. W. Peck Sunshine 131 A respectable merchant was going to the opera with a friend from the country, when a couple of sirens met them and one said to the other, `Look at his nibs.'
1903 A. Adams Log Cowboy xxi. 333 Just to show his royal nibs that he's been thoughtless.
1919 G. S. Gordon Let. 30 June (1943) 115 We get on to the Caesar, and find their nibs strolling the quarterdeck after dinner.
1957 H. Croome Forgotten Place 175, I wish I could just lie on a bed and smoke, like His Nibs.
1974 O. Manning Rain Forest ii. i. 141 Her nibs don't like me calling him `old bugger'. There's a snobby bitch, if you like!
NABS næbz. slang. Also 9 knabs. [Of obscure origin: cf; nibs. ] A term used with possessive pronouns as a slang or jocular designation of a person;
my nabs = `my gentleman', +myself.
A. 1790 Potter New Dict. Cant, Nabs. a person of either sex.
1812 J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., His-nabs, him, or himself, Mynabs, me, myself.
1823 in Spirit Pub. Jrnls. 248 Sought out the road where Toley's turnpike lay, And came upon his nabs just as he rose.
1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour III. 149 (Hoppe), Your nabs sparkle my nabs a drop of bevare.
1895 Emerson Birds, etc. 203, I do a bit of stuffing, and as sure as I get gutting a bird, in come my nabs and steal some.
nibs. slang. [Origin obscure. ] = nabs. [SEE BELOW] Esp. his nibs,
His Nibs, an employer, a superior; a self-important person.
1821 D. Haggart Life Gloss. 172.
1846 Swell's Night Guide 57 She flokessed his nibs, and hooked it off to his crib.
1877 Brooklyn Monthly Oct. 21/2 Salute the hostess by saying: `Cully, how's his nibs?'
1882 G. W. Peck Sunshine 131 A respectable merchant was going to the opera with a friend from the country, when a couple of sirens met them and one said to the other, `Look at his nibs.'
1903 A. Adams Log Cowboy xxi. 333 Just to show his royal nibs that he's been thoughtless.
1919 G. S. Gordon Let. 30 June (1943) 115 We get on to the Caesar, and find their nibs strolling the quarterdeck after dinner.
1957 H. Croome Forgotten Place 175, I wish I could just lie on a bed and smoke, like His Nibs.
1974 O. Manning Rain Forest ii. i. 141 Her nibs don't like me calling him `old bugger'. There's a snobby bitch, if you like!
NABS næbz. slang. Also 9 knabs. [Of obscure origin: cf; nibs. ] A term used with possessive pronouns as a slang or jocular designation of a person;
my nabs = `my gentleman', +myself.
A. 1790 Potter New Dict. Cant, Nabs. a person of either sex.
1812 J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., His-nabs, him, or himself, Mynabs, me, myself.
1823 in Spirit Pub. Jrnls. 248 Sought out the road where Toley's turnpike lay, And came upon his nabs just as he rose.
1851 Mayhew Lond. Labour III. 149 (Hoppe), Your nabs sparkle my nabs a drop of bevare.
1895 Emerson Birds, etc. 203, I do a bit of stuffing, and as sure as I get gutting a bird, in come my nabs and steal some.
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