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 1711. Swift, Conduct of the Allies. We are thus become the dupes and bubbles of Europe.

1712. Arbuthnot, History of John Bull, pt. II., ch. iii. He has been my bubble [tool] these twenty years; and to my certain knowledge, understands no more of his own affairs than a child in swaddling clothes.

1750. Fielding, Tom Jones, bk. I., ch. vii. 'This would be to own herself the meer tool and bubble of the man.'

1788. G. A. Stevens, Adv. of a Speculist, I., 69. He persuades his bubble, that he will insure him a certain safe way of getting a sum of money.

1795. R. Cumberland, The Jew, Act iii., Sc. 2. If he attempts to raise money upon expectancies, be at their peril who are fools enough to trust him: No prudent man will be his bubble.

1805. G. Barrington, New London Spy (4 ed.), p. 24. The shame of being thought a bubble, and exposed to the town, frequently prevents gentlemen from making use of the statute provided in such cases.

Verb (old).—To cheat; humbug; delude as with bubbles; to overreach. Cf., substantive sense.

1664. Etheridge, Comical Revenge, II., iii., in wks. (1704), 24. I believe he's gone down to Receive money; 'twere an excellent design to bubble him.

1685. Dryden, Prol. to Albion and Albanius, 23.

Freedom and zeal have choused you o'er and o'er; Pray give us leave to bubble you once more.

1711. Spectator, No 89. That she has bubbled him out of his youth and that he verily believes she will drop him in his old age, if she can find her account in another.

1752. Fielding, Amelia, bk. XI., ch. iv. He actually bubbled several of their money by undertaking to do them services, which, in reality, were not within his power.

1777. Sheridan, Trip to Scarborough, Act ii. Help the gentleman with a chair, and carry him to my house presently—that's the properest place—[aside]—to bubble him out of his money.

1788. G. A. Stevens, Adv. of a Speculist, I., 75. And this was the language which the pretenders to the Philosopher's Stone used to bubble their pigeons with.

1880. McCarthy, Own Times, III., xli., 235. Some critics declared that the French Emperor had bubbled him [Mr. Cobden].

Bubbleable, adj. (old).—That can be duped; gullible. [A very rare form from bubble, to cheat, + able.]

1669. Nicker Nicked, in Hart. Misc. (ed. Park), II., 109. If the winner be bubbleable, they will insinuate themselves into his acquaintance, and civilly invite him to drink a glass of wine; wheedle him into play, and win all his money.

Bubble and Squeak, subs. phr. (common).—A compound of cold meat fried up with potatoes and greens. [From the hissing sound produced by the frying; originally nautical.]

1785. Grose, Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Bubble and squeak, beef and cabbage fried together; it is so called from its bubbling up and squeaking whilst over the fire.

1786-89. Wolcot ('P. Pindar'), Lousiad, ch. i., line 366.

Such is the sound (the simile's not weak) Form'd by what mortals bubble call, and squeak, When 'midst the frying-pan, in accents savage, The beef so sorely quarrels with the cabbage.

1853. Lytton, My Novel, bk. VIII., ch. viii. 'Rank and title! bubble and squeak! No, not half so good as bubble and squeak. English beef and good cabbage.'

Bubble Buff, subs. (old).—A bailiff.

Bubble Company, subs. (common).—A swindling association, enterprise or project. [From bubble, to cheat, + company.] The South Sea Bubble will occur to mind in this connection.

1754. B. Martin, Eng. Dict. (2 ed.). Bubble 5 (in Commerce), a cant