wickie means lighthouse-keeper's assistant, whose responsibilities typically included the tending and trimming of wicks for the light. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
Why “wickie” is a great word
A lighthouse-keeper's assistant, responsible for trimming and tending the oil lamp's wicks. From wick (the cord that supplies fuel to a flame) and the diminutive, often occupational, suffix -ie, the term first appeared in the 19th century. Unlike a 'lighthouse keeper,' who commanded the tower and its great lens, or a 'wick trimmer,' which names only the tool or the act, a wickie was the human agent of a singular, sooty ritual. It conjures the smell of hot whale oil and damp wool, the feel of charred cotton between blackened fingertips, and the bone-deep warmth radiating from a polished brass housing after a long night's vigil—the quiet dignity of a small task performed in a vast and encircling dark.
Etymology
From wick + -ie, because some of the wickie's duties related to supervising and tending to the wicks.
noun
- Lighthouse-keeper's assistant, whose responsibilities typically included the tending and trimming of wicks for the light.“... now I’m a wickie and a wickie I is. I’m damn-well wedded to this here light, and she’s been a finer, truer, quieter wife than any a liveblooded woman.”
- A wicketkeeper.