1822 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Oct. 455/1 Besides, what is the use of making such a bloody nitty about nothing?—Why, man, you've worn that there jacket of yours, to my knowledge, a twelve-month at least.

1826 W. N. Glascock Naval Sketch-bk. I. 22 Well, you know, before you could turn the quid in your mouth, there was a nitty fore and aft in the ship.

1830 F. Marryat King's Own II. vi. 92 I never seed a ship's company in such a farment, or such a nitty kicked up 'tween decks, in my life.

1850 G. Cupples Green Hand v. 57/2 Sich a shine and a nitty as I kicks up.

1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. 498 Nitty, a troublesome noise; a squabble.]

1570 P. Levens Manipulus Vocabulorum sig. Iiv/1 Nitty, culicosus.

a1585 P. Hume Flyting with Montgomerie (Tullibardine) 571 in G. Stevenson Poems A. Montgomerie (1910) 171 Athort his nittie [v.r. neatie] now, Ilk lowsie lyce lurkand lyk ane lint bow.

1592 R. Greene Quip for Vpstart Courtier sig. D3^v As if he meant to giue a warning to all the lice in his nittie lockes.

1600 S. Rowlands Letting of Humors Blood Satyre v. sig. E4^v Goodly curld lockes; but surely tis great pitty, For want of kembing, they are beastly nitty.

1622 T. Dekker & P. Massinger Virgin Martir iii. sig. G3^v Thy hungry tongue bit off these shreds of complaints, to patch vp the elbowes of thy nittie eloquence.

1654 T. Gataker Disc. Apol. 30 If..the poor Presbyter is left so needie, nittie, bare, and wors then beggerlie.

1666 J. Sergeant Let. of Thanks 31 I may not trouble my Reader often with such nitty Exceptions with which your Book abounds.

1694 tr. F. Martens Voy. Spitzbergen 69 in Narbrough's Acct. Several Late Voy. Here and there it hath some small knobs like nitty Hair.

1712 S. Centlivre Perplex'd Lovers iii. iii. 28 A nitty Son of a Whore, who does he call lousie?

1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 133 He had need to have a heal Pow, That calls his Neighbour Nitty Know.

1764 T. Bridges Homer Travestie II. viii. 122 As easily I can ye souse As nitty taylors crack a louse.

1833 J. M'Killop Poems (1870) 76 The common nest o'strolling hags Diseased an' neety.

1887 F. T. Havergal Herefordshire Gloss. Acton Beauchamp, the poorest place in all the nation, A lousy parson, a nitty clerk, and a shabby congregation.

1991 Daughters of Sarah July 15/1 I see you in a bread line with nitty people, jostling and elbowing.

1598 J. Marston Certaine Satyres in Metamorph. Pigmalions Image 51 O dapper, rare, compleat, sweet nittie youth!

1894 R. O. Heslop Northumberland Words (at cited word) A bit nitty bairn.

1654 E. Gayton Pleasant Notes Don Quixot iii. vi. 102 Before dinner again, refresh your Lamp..with the generous oyle of Sack, nitty, roapy, and razy.

1882 G. F. Jackson Shropshire Word-bk. (at cited word) W'en I poured it i' the glass it wuz nitty, an' as clier as sack.