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How Dick Came to be Brusk for Richard

Today I establish out why Dick is short for Richard.

The name Richard is idea by nigh etymologists to derive from the Proto-Germanic 'Rikharthu', meaning more or less "hard ruler" ('Rik-' meaning 'ruler' and '-harthu' meaning 'difficult'). This was adopted into Sometime Loftier German as 'Ricohard', and from there to One-time French, then Old English as 'Richeard', and today as 'Richard'.

Y'all might think from Richard meaning "hard ruler" and being a human's name that Dick being a nickname for Richard probably came most for pejorative reasons, borrowing from ane of the other meanings of "dick", such equally 'dick' as in 'jerk' or 'dick as in 'penis'. Yet, the first record of 'dick' significant 'jerk' didn't come about until a few hundred years afterward its association with Richard and the starting time record of it referring to a penis wasn't until the 1890s, as a British army slang term. Exactly how that latter pregnant came nearly isn't known, being a slang term that was considered somewhat uncouth to put on paper. Because of that, 'dick' significant 'penis' probably had been around a while before the 1890s, but not nearly long enough earlier to accept contributed to the Richard/Dick connexion.

How Dick became a nickname for Richard is known and is one of those "genu os connected to the thigh os" type progressions, somewhat similar to how the word 'soccer' came nearly. Due to people having to write everything by hand, shortened versions of Richard were common, such equally 'Ric' or 'Rich'. This in turn gave ascension to nicknames like 'Richie', 'Rick', and 'Ricket', among others. People also used to like to use rhyming names; thus, someone who was nicknamed Rich might farther be nicknamed Hitch. Thus, Richard -> Ric -> Rick gave rise to nicknames similar Dick and Hick around the early 13th century.

While few today telephone call Richards 'Hick', the nickname 'Dick' has stuck around, and of grade has come up to mean many other things as well. Its persistence as associated with Richard is probably in part because around the 16th century Dick started to be synonymous with 'man', 'lad', or 'fellow', sort of a full general name for whatever 'Tom, Dick, or Francis" (which past the way appears in Shakespeare'southward Henry IV, written in the late 16th century, with Dick at this indicate firmly established as an "every man" name). It may well be that this association with 'man' is in plow how 'dick' eventually came to mean 'penis'.

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Bonus Facts:

While y'all won't typically hear people calling Richards 'Hicks' anymore, this nickname did give rise to 'Hudde'. This in plow gave us 'Hudson' effectually the late 13th century, which of grade is at present a somewhat common surname.
Speaking of Hudsons, Katy Perry'due south real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. She created the phase name "Katy Perry" so as not to be confused with Kate Hudson. Earlier she did this, she did release an anthology under her existent proper noun, with the album called "Katy Hudson". The album flopped. Information technology wasn't until she signed with Capitol Music Group in 2007 that she adopted the phase name Katy Perry. Since so, she's obviously been a huge success… coincidence?!? … probably. Read more interesting celebrity facts hither: Celebrity Facts
People with the name Robert are as well called Bob via much the same process as people who are named Richard beingness chosen Dick. Namely Robert -> Rob and and then the rhyming nickname Bob.
Similarly, this is also how we go Pecker from William, William -> Will rhyming and then to Beak.
The nickname Hodge is derived this same mode from Roger: Roger -> Rodge -> Hodge.
Polly likewise comes from the name Molly… the listing goes on and on and on.
Spotted dick, the pudding, not someone with a certain STD, is thought past many etymologists to have gotten its proper name from the fact that certain types of hard cheese around the 19th century were called 'dick'. This in plow gave rise to treacle dick (treacle with cheese), then when raisins or the similar were added, 'spotted dick', though of form it's fabricated a piffling differently today, but the raisins especially are still usually used. I culling etymology of spotted dick that some etymologists ascribe to is from the word pudding itself giving ascension to puddink, and so puddick, and then simply dick. As spotted dick is but a type of suet pudding with dried fruit added, giving it the spots, this seems reasonable enough as well.
Dick also one time popularly meant an assertion, announcement, or declaration, such as "I exercise dick Mr. Beauregard… you lot are my hero!" Similarly, someone's 'dying dick' meant something completely unlike in the Middle Ages as information technology would now, namely their 'dying announcement'.
Other things that were commonly called 'dick' through the heart ages up to now include: aprons, dictionaries, detectives, whips, and nothing (as in, 'I got dick for my birthday').
Incidentally, "That's what she said" is idea to have been effectually since the 1970s with the primeval documented case of the phrase showing upwardly on Saturday Night Live, spoken by Chevy Chase in a weekend update skit in 1975, which too happened to be the outset season of SNL. "That'south what she said" was later hugely popularized thanks to Wayne's World skits on Saturday Dark Live and later usage in the movie "Wayne'southward World". The British too have their own version of that statement which has been around for much longer (over a century), "said the actress to the Bishop". Y'all can read more nearly how that phrase came about here: The British Equivalent of "That'south What She Said"

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