Etymology: < Dicky (also Dickie , Dickey ), pet form of the male forename Richard (see Richard n.; compare dick n.¹, -y suffix⁶). With uses at branch I., and especially sense 3a, compare also dick n.² and discussion at that entry. The application in the earliest examples to a woman's undershirt or petticoat (see sense 1a) is surprising if the male forename is indeed the origin of the word, but the order of attestation of particular uses at branch I. may be an accident of the historical record. In sense 7 short for dicky bird n.

Etymology: < dick n.¹ + -y suffix⁶, apparently originally punningly after dicky n.¹ 9a (see note at main sense).

Etymology: Origin unknown. Perhaps a use of Dicky , hypocoristic form of Dick (see dicky n.¹), perhaps playing on its resemblance to tricky adj., sticky adj.², or other words of similar sound with negative connotations. (Perhaps compare frequent use of Tricky or Tricky Dicky as nicknames for men called Richard .) Alternatively, perhaps an alteration of dickens n.; with it is all dicky (with) at sense 1 perhaps compare to go to the dickens at dickens n. 7 (although that is first attested later).