nish a also nesh [phonetics unavailable]. Cp EDD nesh: var neesh Do, nish D, 1 'soft, tender' for sense 1; 2 'brittle' for sense 2; 4 'delicate' for sense 3.
1 Soft or tender; sore or inflamed; delicate.
1863 MORETON 35 ~ Tender, delicate. 1955 ENGLISH 35 ~ tender, easily injured. P 3-63 That's the best bit of meat I've had for a long time. It's very nish. T 203/5-65 You can haul all you like on a otter skin, but a fox skin, when you put un on the board you'd have to be very careful, because it's a very nish fur, a very nish skin. 1966 Evening Telegram 12 July, p. 8 I always burn red and blisters, my skin is very nish. C 70-21 A person's hands might be neash if he has neash skin, thin skin, easily bruised. 1974 Evening Telegram 28 Dec, p. 4 It is hoped that the report will have a wide circulation as a guideline to asking sharp and pertinent questions that strip away the nish outer flesh and get right to the bone of the problem. 1980 ibid 5 Jan, p. 11 She had a very nish skin which ran in families with refined blood in their veins.
2 Brittle, easily broken; of ice, very thin.
1958 Nfld Dishes 46 ~ applied to ice or even to pastry. P 210-69 Be careful with that cup—it's very nish. C 71-125 ~ Anything thin or frail, easily broken. New ice, very thin, is very often referred to as 'nish.'
3 Of persons, delicate, lacking in hardiness.
1896 J A Folklore ix, 23 Nesh. Tender and delicate, used to describe one who cannot stand much cold or hard work. [1906] GRENFELL 168 So Pete has to depend more and more on his knowledge of boiling springs, for he never yet was 'nish' (tender) enough to stop and boil the kettle when he could melt snow for water. 1925 Dial Notes v, 337 ~ Delicate; of a person. M 71-114 A person who is sensitive to pain is said to be nish.
