Where did the expression.."that stings like the dickens" come from?

Question:

Answers:
"Dickens" is apparently slang for the devil. So it's the same as saying "stings like the devil." It starts showing up around1590-1600. But nobody is entirely sure where it comes from. Some suggest it's related to the last name Dickens, or the first name Richard or D ick.
Senlin is correct - what he forgot to say is that people used to say a word like 'dickens' so that they didn't conjure him up by saying his name. There are lots of other names.

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