different between nudge vs nudnik

English

Etymology

Circa 17th century, perhaps of North Germanic origin, related to Norwegian nugge, nyggje (“to push, rub, shove”), Icelandic nugga (“to rub, massage”), from the root of Proto-Germanic *hn?jan? (“to smooth, join together”), from Proto-Indo-European *kneh?- (compare Ancient Greek ???? (kná?, “to scratch, scrape”), source of English acnestis).

Compare also Scots nodge (“to push, poke, nudge”), knidge (“to push, squeeze”), gnidge (“to rub, press, squeeze, bruise”), and knudge (“to squeeze, press down with the knuckles”), Middle Low German nucke, nücke, gnücke (“a sudden push, shock, impetus”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n?d?/
• Rhymes: -?d?

Noun

nudge (plural nudges)

1. A gentle push.
2. (Internet) A feature of instant messaging software used to get the attention of another user, as by shaking the conversation window or playing a sound.
3. The rotation by one step of a fruit machine reel of the player's choice.

4. (behavioral economics) The use of positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions as ways to influence.

Derived terms

• nudgy

Translations

Verb

nudge (third-person singular simple present nudges, present participle nudging, simple past and past participle nudged)

1. (transitive) To push against gently, especially in order to gain attention or give a signal.
2. (transitive) To near or come close to something.
3. (transitive) To move slightly.

Derived terms

• nudger

Translations

See also

• nudge nudge wink wink

Further reading

• Nudge theory on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

English

Alternative forms

• noodnick, noodnik, nudnick

Etymology

From Yiddish ??????? (nudnik) < root of ??????? (nudyen, “to bore”) + ????? (-nik, “noun-forming suffix”) (English -nik). Ultimately from Proto-Slavic *nuda < Proto-Indo-European *newti- (“need”) < *new- (“death, to be exhausted”).

Compare Russian ??????? (núdnyj, “tedious”), Ukrainian ??????? (núdnyj, “tedious”), Polish nudny (“boring”), Slovak nudný (“boring”), Old Church Slavonic ??????? (nuditi) or ?????? (n?diti, “to compel”), Hebrew ?????????? (“nag”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?n?dn?k/

Noun

nudnik (plural nudniks)

1. (US, colloquial) A person who is very annoying; a pest, a nag, a jerk. (Also used attributively.) [from 20th c.]
   • 1992, Richard Preston quoting Samuel Eilenberg, The New Yorker, 2 March, "The Mountains of Pi":

     He interrupts people, and he is not interested in anything except what concerns him and his brother. He is a nudnick!

   • 1962, Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle, in Four Novels of the 1960s, Library of America 2007, p. 15:

     Juliana greeted strangers with a portentous, nudnik, Mona Lisa smile that hung them up between responses, whether to say hello or not.

Related terms

• nudzh, noodge, nudge

Anagrams

• Dunkin, unkind