Nine Elms. From nine fine elm-trees on this portion of the south bank of the Thames.
Nine Tailors make a Man. The second word in this expression is a corruption of Tellers. A “Teller” was in olden times a stroke of the “passing bell” of the parish church. Three tellers gave warning of the death of a child, six of a woman, and nine of a man. As the parishioners counted the strokes they would say: “Nine tellers make a man.”
Ninny. Short for “Nincompoop.” In America this term is generally thought to be derived from “Pickaninny.”
Niphon. The native name of “Japan.”
Nipped in the Bud. While a flower is in the bud it may be destroyed by a mere nip of the fingers. Afterwards its leaves would have to be plucked separately. To curb mischief or a bad habit at the very commencement is therefore the easier plan.
Nipper. Originally in thieves’ slang a boy trained to pick purses and pockets, and nip off unobserved; hence the expression “A Young Nipper.”
Nitrate King. The sobriquet of the late Colonel J. T. North, who amassed a fortune by the nitrate industry in South America.
Nob. Short for “noble” or “nobleman.” From University slang the term has come to imply among the vulgar anyone of aristocratic pretensions.
Noctes Ambrosianæ. A characteristic feature of Blackwood’s Magazine in its early days. This, “The Ambrosial Nights,” was contributed as a regular series by Professor Wilson, being for the most part the actual conversations of the author, John Gibson Lockhart, and Mr Blackwood at a small Edinburgh tavern kept by one Ambrose. Although Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, also figured in those dialogues, he was not present at the meetings.
Nocturne. A quiet, dreamy species of musical composition, suggestive, as its name denotes, of peaceful night.