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Does the word "dickens" refer to Charles Dickens? | Almanac.com

Does the word "dickens" refer to Charles Dickens?

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Does the word “dickens” refer to Charles Dickens?
Answer
Not at all. Shakespeare, long before Charles Dickens’ time, was fond of using the word “dickens” to indicate the devil. A phrase like, “What the dickens is his name?” would be considered impolite if one said, “What the devil is his name?”