Dick
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The word and name Dick has multiple meanings:
- Dick is a time-honoured familiar form of the given name Richard. Many famous individuals have used "Dick" as a nickname, including Richard Nixon, who eventually came to be known under the nickname "Tricky Dick".
- Dick is also, much less commonly, a surname:
- Philip K. Dick was a leading science-fiction author
- Paul Dick was a Canadian politician
- Dick is an album by Greg Ginn, guitarist from punk rock band Black Flag.
- Dick is also a comedy movie in which two girls cause the downfall of Richard Nixon.
- Dick's is a fast food restaurant chain in Seattle.
- Dick's Sporting Goods is a retail chain in the Eastern and Midwestern United States
- Uncapitalized, dick is a slang term used to refer to a private investigator or detective. It is a shortened form of detective. Dick Tracy, the famous fictional police detective, was named for his profession; the movie The Bank Dick starring W.C. Fields also refers to this usage. Private dick is also common for private investigators.
- It is also a vulgarism for penis, and in modern times it is frequently used as an insult or curse word. In particular:
- dick is a vulgar, derogatory term for a contemptable, mean, or odious man
- dick around is a sland term meaning to carelessly waste time.