Talk:ned

Backronym
The origin of the word is completely unknown, so I don't really know if anyone has the authority to claim "it's a backronym" although I imagine it is. We don't know of any good history for the word at all.

surelly the fact that ned predates the term non-educated delinquent is pretty damning evidence. Also there is no such word as non-educated. Both pretty indicitive of backronym. Theres more discussion on the etymology of the word on the corresponding wikipedia article.

Possible missing sense: a guinea
John Camden Hotten's Slang Dictionary (1873) has this (which I can't easily attest from Google Books):


 * Ned, a guinea. Half-ned, half-a-guinea.

Equinox ◑ 22:59, 5 January 2021 (UTC)