Discussion Groups / British English / July 2006

"Inca" should be "Wicca". Bloody spellchecker. (Or perhaps St Brendan
came back and brought an Inca with him?)

You mean an Olde English Dictionary?

Here's some of the OED entry - can't see anything about wizards, though.
 Everard may just have been a bad lot.

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    1. Bad in moral character, disposition, or conduct; inclined or
addicted to wilful wrong-doing; practising or disposed to practise evil;
morally depraved. (A term of wide application, but always of strong
reprobation, implying a high degree of evil quality.)    a. of a person
(or a community of persons).
  the Wicked One, the Devil, Satan.

c1275 LAY. 14983 Hercne ou {ygh}eo tock an, {th}es wickede [earlier text
swicfulle] wifman. 1340 Ayenb. 1 Ich bidde {th}e hit by my sseld auoreye
{th}e wycked uend. 13.. Cursor M. 170 (Gött.) Iesu wan he longe hade
fast Was temped wid {th}e wicked [v.r. wikket] gast. c1375 Sc. Leg.
Saints x. (Mathou) 73 Mare reuerens Is gewine..To vekyt men fore
dred..{Th}ane to gudmen for luf. c1380 WYCLIF Wks. (1880) 76 Of siche
vikede men sei{th} god bi his prophete [etc.]. c1380 Sir Ferumb. 2187 In
al he{th}enis ys no Sarsyn wikkeder {th}an is he. a1400-50 Wars Alex.
2425 {Ygh}e at wickid ere within ay wickidly {ygh}e thinke. c1450 Mirk's
Festial 222 All wekyd spyrytys schall for ferd fle away from {th}e. 1456
SIR G. HAYE Law Arms (S.T.S.) 32 Wikkit tyrane Emperouris. 1508 DUNBAR
Tua Mariit Wemen 214 My weckit kyn, that me away cast. 1533 GAU Richt
Vay (S.T.S.) 60 Thow vikkit seruand I forgaiff ye al thy det. 1535
COVERDALE Gen. xiii. 13 Ye men of Sodome were wicked, and synned
exceadingly agaynst the Lorde. 1562 WIN{ygh} ET Cert. Tractatis Wks.
(S.T.S.) I. 5 Wes not the sacramentis..prophanit be ignorantis and wikit
persones? 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. iv. 109 O wickit wemen, vennomus of
nature! 1582 N. T. (Rhem.) Matt. xiii. 19 There cometh the wicked one,
and catcheth away that which was sowen in his hart. Ibid. 1 John ii. 13
You haue ouercome the wicked one. 1610 SHAKES. Temp. V. i. 130 You (most
wicked Sir) whom to call brother Would euen infect my mouth. 1670 MILTON
Hist. Eng. III. Wks. 1851 V. 130 Looking on the poor Christian
with..Contempt; but fawning on the wickedest rich men. 1696 WHISTON The.
Earth III. iv. 207 This Deluge..was a signal Instance of the Divine
Vengeance on a Wicked World. 1727 DE FOE Syst. Magic I. ii. 58 'Tis very
strange Men should be so fond of being thought wickeder than they are.
1732 BERKELEY Alciphr. v. §7 Vice increases, and men grow daily more and
more wicked. 1818 SCOTT Hrt. Midl. xv, ‘Then you are the wicked cause of
my sister's ruin?’ said Jeanie, with a natural touch of indignation.
1820 COLERIDGE in Lit. Rem. (1838) III. 399 Bunyan was never, in our
received sense of the word, wicked. He was chaste, sober, honest; but he
was a bitter blackguard..and was fond of a row. 1873 LELAND Egypt.
Sketch-Bk. 155 However wicked a man may be, he is sure to find a wickeder.

    b. of action, speech, thought, or other personal attribute; also
transf. of a thing connected in some way with such action, etc.

a1300 Cursor M. 1227 {Th}ai him warryd wit wickud dedis. Ibid. 12991 Na
langer Mai i nu {th}i wicked wordes ber. 13.. Northern Passion (A) 506
[Satan] wyl the dryfe in wekyd {th}oughte. 1362 LANGL. P. Pl. A. v. 217
{Th}enne was he a-schomed,..And gon..gret deol to make For his wikkede
lyf {th}at he I-liued hedde. c1375 Sc. Leg. Saints i. (Petrus) 474 Throw
his wekit sorcery. Ibid. viii. (Philepus) 66 Wikit heresy. c1380 WYCLIF
Wks. (1880) 37 Wickid lawis & wrong execucions of hem. c1400 Rom. Rose
7424 They to Wicked Tonge comen That at his gate was syttyng. 1535
COVERDALE Ezek. viii. 9 What wicked abhominacions that they do. 1539
Bible (Great) 2 Chron. vii. 14 Yf they..do humble them selues..and turne
from their wycked wayes. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. iii. 176 Doggis could
hir wickit bainis gnaw. 1602 SHAKES. Ham. III. iii. 59 Offences gilded
hand may shoue by Iustice, And oft 'tis seene, the wicked prize it selfe
Buyes out the Law. 1667 MILTON P.L. v. 890 Yet not for thy advise or
threats I fly These wicked Tents devoted. 1727 DE FOE Syst. Magic I. ii.
48 All the wicked things, which have..given a black Character to the
very Name of a Magician; for under the shelter of Religion, the worst
and most Diabolical things were practis'd. 1848 THACKERAY Van. Fair
viii, ‘Yes, hang it’ (said Sir Pitt, only, he used, dear, a much
wickeder word). 1878 H. STEVENS Bibles Caxton Exhib. 114 In 1855 Mr.
Henry Stevens exhibited..a..copy of this long-lost..Bible [of 1631],
and..nick-named it ‘The Wicked Bible,’ from the fact that the negative
had been left out of the Seventh Commandment by a typographical error.
1905 R. BAGOT Passport iii. 23 The mysterious old professor..who wrote
wicked books.

    c. Designating a stock evil character in a fairy-tale, as Wicked
Fairy, Stepmother, Uncle, etc. Freq. transf.

1897 KIPLING Stalky (1899) 39 He owned a soft, slow smile which well
suited the part of the Wicked Uncle. 1906 Sleeping Beauty (‘Tales for
Little People’ ed.) 8/2 ‘That looks like the wicked fairy, I'm sure,’
said his majesty to himself. 1946 A. HUXLEY Let. 26 May (1969) 544 That
blessing and curse of cleverness, with which the Fairy Godmother, who is
also the Wicked Fairy, endowed me. 1978 M. BABSON Tightrope for Three
xv. 78 He could not see Lillian in the classic ‘wicked stepmother’
situation. 1982 ‘J. MELVILLE’ Painted Castle i. 21 If you left Tad out
of consideration, uncomfortable things were apt to happen. He had a
touch of the Wicked Fairy about him.

    2. Bad, in various senses (not always clearly distinguishable).
Frequent in ME. use; later chiefly dial., or in colloq. use as a
conscious metaphor (now often jocular) from sense 1, and implying ‘very
or excessively bad’, ‘horrid’, ‘beastly’.    a. In reference to
character or action: Cruel, severe, fierce. Of animals: Savage, vicious.

13.. Cursor M. 5571 (Gött.) Quat he was wicked and wode Again {th}at
folk sua mild of mode! 1375 Creation 980 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1878)
136 Who so were..venympd wi{th} eny wikked beste. ?a1400 Morte Arth.
3232 Woluez, and whilde swynne, and wykkyde bestez. 1513 DOUGLAS Æneis
I. x. 23 Quhat wise thi brothir Eneas..Is blawin and warpit euery coist
abowt, Of wickit Juno throw the cruell invy [L. odiis Iunonis acerbæ].
1607 TOPSELL Four-f. Beasts 308 As they [sc. horses] are wilde and
fierce, so are they wicked and harmefull. 1725 RAMSAY Gentle Sheph. I.
ii, If canker'd Madge, our aunt, Come up the burn, she'll gie 's a
wicked rant. 1819 W. TENNANT Papistry Storm'd (1827) 7 Sae wud and
wicket was their wraith [= wrath] Gainst Papish trash and idol-graith.
1829 HOGG Sheph. Cal. i. 8 It's hard to gar a wicked cout leave off
flinging. 1895 MILLAIS Breath from Veldt (1899) 228 The Cape
buffalo..has ample power to carry out his evil intentions when he means
to be wicked.

    b. Actually or potentially harmful, destructive, disastrous, or
pernicious; baleful; when applied to air, odour, taste, etc. passing
into: Offensive, foul.
1340 Ayenb. 124 Aye {th}e wykkede hetes..aye {th}e wyckede cheles..aye
{th}e wyckede raynes. 1375 BARBOUR Bruce v. 12 To vyn the heling of thar
hevede, That vikkit vyntir had thame revede. 1379 Glouc. Cath. MS. 19
No. I. I. iii. lf. 6b, Wicked ayr or grevaunce, or cold takyng. c1386
CHAUCER Monk's T. 626 Thurgh his body wikked wormes crepte. c1391 {emem}
Astrol. II. §4 A fortunat assendent clepen they whan {th}at no wykkid
planete, as saturne or Mars,..is in {th}e hows of the assendent. 1398
TREVISA Barth. De P.R. IV. xi. (1495) fvb/2 Flyes shunne & voyde the
wycked & horryble sauour therof. c1400 MANDEVILLE XV. [xi]. (1919) 83
The perilous watres & wykkede mareys. c1400 Song Roland 857 The wekid
wedur lastid full long. c1400 Rom. Rose 6511 If that wikkid deth hym
haue I wole go with hym to his graue. c1400 Laud Troy Bk. 5638 A wicked
strok he him hit. c1440 Alphabet of Tales 59 When {th}e wykkid fyre was
in howsis nere-hand hur. c1460 Play Sacram. 267 in Non-Cycle Myst. Plays
65 Alle wykkyd metys yt wylle degest. c1480 HENRYSON Test. Cress. 412
Fell is thy Fortoun, wickit is thy weird. 1578 LYTE Dodoens II. lxxxix.
270 Fenell.. is good agaynst..the bitings of..wicked & venimous beastes.
1590 SPENSER F.Q. III. xi. 24 Faire Amoret must dwell in wicked chaines.
1600 BRETON Pasquil's Foole's Cappe Wks. (Grosart) I. 26/1 Who loues to
feede vpon a Sallet dish, Among his Herbes some wicked weede may haue.
1610 SHAKES. Temp. I. ii. 321 As wicked dewe, as ere my mother brush'd
With Rauens feather from vnwholesome Fen, Drop on you both. a1627
MIDDLETON, etc. Widow IV. i, What's good, Sir, for a wicked tooth? 1639
J. TAYLOR (Water P.) Part Summers Trav. 41 It is too well known what a
wicked number of followers he hath had. 1697 DRYDEN Virg. Georg. I. 103
Lest wicked Weeds the Corn shou'd over-run. 1725 MANDEVILLE Fab. Bees
(ed. 4) I. 268 There comes a wicked Cold through that Door,..pray shut
it. 1894 G. A. SMITH Hist. Geog. Holy Land 69 Tents may be carried away
by wicked gusts. 1894 Times 27 Oct. 7/2 The ‘Milo’ was not a
particularly ‘wicked’ engine with regard to giving off sparks. 1895
MILLAIS Breath from Veldt (1899) 133 It was a wicked country for fever.
1903 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 25 Apr. 967 A proprietary..form of chloride of
ethyl and inferior to it on account of its wicked smell.

    {dag}c. Of wounds, disease: Severe; malignant.
c1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 221 {Th}o he was in dispeir of hir lijf, I was
sent after & foond hir in wickide staat. Ibid. 338 To make a wickid
enpostym maturatif. 14.. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 245 A wycked wound
hath me walled. 1576 BAKER Gesner's Jewell of Health 102b, A water
agaynst long continuing ulcers, yea how peryllous or wycked so euer they
bee.

    d. Of bad quality; poor, vile, ‘sorry’; occas. perverted, abnormal;
{dag}in early use sometimes merely negative = un-, dis-.
13.. Spec. S. Edm. in Hampole's Wks. (1895) I. 225 {Th}are~of commes
tresones,..wykked reste [L. inquietudo], Malice and hardnes of herte.
1375 BARBOUR Bruce IX. 75 Ane of thame sall be vorth thre Of thame that
vikkid chiftane has. c1384 CHAUCER H. Fame III. 530 Ye shal haue..wikkyd
loos and wors name. [Cf. quot. a1340 s.v. WICK a. 2b.] a1425 tr.
Arderne's Treat. Fistula, etc. 68 A Rial {th}ing expert,
{th}at..amende{th} {th}e errour als wele of {th}e first digestion as of
{th}e seconde, and do{th} away wicked colour & vnnatural. c1440 Jacob's
Well 78 Of good sede he repyth wycked corn.
1663 Lauderdale Papers (Camden) I. 145 It will be hard to billet me for
this wicked inke, for this place affords no better for fine paper. [Cf.
ante p. 136 If you write not upon better paper and with better pens, wee
will have yow billetted again.] a1704 T. BROWN Dial. Dead, Reas. Oaths
Wks. 1711 IV. 76 Retailer of wicked Bottle Ale and Brandy. 1764 H.
WALPOLE Let. to G. Montagu 16 July, They talk wicked French.

    {dag}e. Difficult or dangerous; esp. of roads, passing into: In bad
condition, out of repair (cf. d).
c1350 Will. Palerne 3507 Ouer mires & muntaynes & o{th}er wicked
wei{ygh}es. 1377 LANGL. P. Pl. B. VII. 27 {Th}ey shulde..amende
mesondieux {th}ere-myde and myseyse folke helpe, And wikked wayes
wi{ygh}tlich hem amende. c1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode I. xci. (1869) 50 Bi
ful wikkede pases {th}ou shalt go, and wikkede herberwes {th}ou shalt
fynde. 1513 DOUGLAS Æneis V. iv. 86 Ontill a wickit place his schip did
steir. Ibid. XII. xi. 160 Lyke till a wykkit hill of huge wecht [L. mons
improbus]. 1533 BELLENDEN Livy IV. xviii. (S.T.S.) II. 115 {Th}e battell
was fochtin in ane wikkit place [L. loco iniquo]. Ibid. V. xxii. 222
Quhare ony strait or wikkit passage was. 1600 HAKLUYT Voy. III. 375 It
is most wicked way,..because they are inaccessible mountaines.

    {dag}f. Difficult to do something with. Obs.
a1352 MINOT Poems (ed. Hall) xi. 8 {Th}at woning was wikked for to win.
c1400 Brut I. 55 {Th}at lande was strong and wikkede to wynne. c1440
Pallad. on Husb. II. 155 This lond is ful wikked to be wrought, To hard
in hete and ouer softe in wete.

    3. a. In weakened or lighter sense (from 1), usually more or less
jocular: Malicious; mischievous, sly.
1600 SHAKES. A.Y.L. IV. i. 216 That same wicked Bastard of Venus,..that
blinde rascally boy. 1750 GRAY Long Story 44 A wicked Imp they call a
Poet. 1781 JOHNSON 1 Apr. in Boswell, She [sc. Mrs. Thrale] is the first
woman in the world, could she but restrain that wicked tongue of hers.
1809 MALKIN Gil Blas X. x. (Rtldg.) 369 Rubicund in the jowl,
efflorescent on the nose, with a wicked eye at a bumper or a girl. 1829
LYTTON Devereux IV. v, You are the wickedest witty person I know. 1857
B. TAYLOR Northern Trav. xxx. (1858) 312 He had..wicked black eyes, and
a mouth which laughed even when his face was at rest. 1868 L. M. ALCOTT
Little Women v, ‘You are not afraid of anything, you know,’ returned the
boy, looking wicked.

    b. Excellent, splendid; remarkable. slang (orig. U.S.).
1920 F. SCOTT FITZGERALD This Side of Paradise I. iii. 119 ‘Tell 'em to
play ‘Admiration’!’ shouted Sloane... ‘Phoebe and I are going to shake a
wicked calf.’ 1977 Western Mail (Cardiff) 5 Mar. 8/2 He could, as I say,
sidestep off either foot, but what sped him on was a wicked acceleration
over 20 yards.

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