Thread: Dickers ?

Where did the term "Dickers" come from ? I know it as the word used for IRA lookouts in NI, but I understand it's also used in Afghanistan.

Dickers were originally low grade scrotes who reported on movements & took plate details providing Int to the enemy. Unarmed and very junior it was an entry into the Paramilitary world. The same phrase has now been given to the enemy in the 'Stan who have folk working in a similiar role.

Originally Posted by Killaloe

Dickers were originally low grade scrotes who reported on movements & took plate details providing Int to the enemy. Unarmed and very junior it was an entry into the Paramilitary world. The same phrase has now been given to the enemy in the 'Stan who have folk working in a similiar role.

Interesting couple of paragraphs about dickers in Iraq in Sniper One. The battle group, holed up in CIMIC House (IIRC?) were getting tooled by Iraqi mortars cos the rules of engagement didn't let them shoot dickers because both sides knew the Bobby Moore.

Then a training team or something came out to see what was to be learned and when they saw how the dickers were working, the response was, "The rules of engagement or wrong. Shoot to kill." And balance of power changed immensely.

The powers that be get quite upset when you start topping 12 year old dickers

But where did the name come from ? was it in use before NI ?

If it helps mate:

dickv. to watch or to keep under surveillance. Subjects: English, Ireland, United Kingdom, Military
Editorial Note: There are also, of course, a wide variety of sex-related slang homonyms that are well-covered elsewhere. Etymological Note: The Historical Dictionary of American Slang attributes this verb to the English Romani dik “to look, see,� in turn said to be from the Hindi dekkhna, but its latest cite is 1935. The cites below show that the verb is still in current use. Also related are dick ‘detective’ or ‘police officer’ and to keep dick, defined in the English Dialect Dictionary as “to keep watch� and attributed to County Antrim, Northern Ireland.



Clicky

Thanks.

My grandfather (Merseyside born and bred) used to use the word "dek" or "dekko" to mean have a look at. Not sure where that comes from. It sounds Indian, although it seems to be associated with Liverpool/Birkenhead area.

Just found this in urban dictionary
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dekko

Seems to be the answer.....unless someone else knows better.

Originally Posted by Dubb_al_Ibn

My grandfather (Merseyside born and bred) used to use the word "dek" or "dekko" to mean have a look at. Not sure where that comes from. It sounds Indian, although it seems to be associated with Liverpool/Birkenhead area.

Just found this in urban dictionary
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dekko

Seems to be the answer.....unless someone else knows better.

Common useage along the N Wales coast too when i was a lad...

Possibly from Private Detective - Dick or private dick ?. Raymond Chandler sort of cove.

Why cove ?

I must admit I had always assumed it was because they were dicking you in the pseudo-sexual sense - setting a target up to be shafted, albeit indirectly. A shared root (see what I did there? :D ) with dekko had not occured to me.

Originally Posted by whiffler

Why cove ?

It conceals any cracks between walls and ceilings and, well, looks nice.

As a kid in Belfast we always had someone 'keeping dick' whilst we were raiding 'orcies' or some other nefarious activity...

CW

Quis Separabit

Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum

Originally Posted by tropper66

The powers that be get quite upset when you start topping 12 year old dickers

walt

You called?

Dekko & dick done to death here - scroll about a bit. Dekko entries are highlighted in yellow.