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 Pelter, subs. (colloquial).—1. A heavy shower: hence, a rain of missiles.

1837. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, 'Dead Drummer.' The lightning kept flashing, the rain too kept pouring what I've heard term'd a regular pelter.

1887. Religious Herald, 24 Mar. Presently, another shower came She shrugged up her shoulders and shut her eyes during the pelter.

2. (colloquial).—Anything large; a whopper (q.v.).

1892. Milliken, 'Arry Ballads, 70. Down upon Sport, now, a pelter.

3. (tramps').—A whore-monger; a MUTTON-MONGER (q.V.).

4. See subs., senses 2 and 4.

5. (obsolete).—See quot.

1827. J. Barrington, Personal Sketches (3rd Edition, 1869), i. 274-275. Every family then had a case of hereditary pistols, which descended as an heirloom for the use of their posterity. Our family pistols, denominated pelters, were brass.

Pelting, adj.—1. See Pelt, subs., sense 2.

2. (obs.).—Mean; paltry; contemptible.—B. E. (c. 1696).

1570. Ascham, Scholemaster, 191. Packing up pelting matters, such as in London commonly come to the hearing of the masters of Bridewell.

1578. North, Plutarch, 458. Hybla being but a pelting little town. Ibid., 69. My mind in pelting prose shall never be exprest, But sung in verse heroical, for so I think it best.

1581. Lyly, Alexander [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ii. 140]. Good drink makes good blood, and shall pelting words spill it?

1597. Shakspeare, Richard II., ii. 1. This land—Is now leas'd out Like to a tenement or pelting farm.

1605. Shakspeare, Lear, ii. 3. From low farms, Poor, pelting villages, sheepcotes, and mills.

d. 1616. Beaumont and Fletcher, Bloody Brother, iii. 2. Your penny-pot poets are such pelting thieves.

Peltis-hole, subs. phr. (Old Scots').—A term of reproach: of women: cf. pelt, subs., sense 4. [That is 'tan-pit.']

15[?]. Aberdeen Register [Jamieson]. Maly Awaill was conwickit for myspersonyng of Besse Goldsmycht, calling her peltis hoyll.

Pempe, subs. (Winchester).—An imaginary object in search of which a new comer is sent: cf. pigeon's milk, strap-oil, the squad umbrella, &c. [From pempe moron proteroy = 'Send the fool farther.']

Pen, subs. (old).—1. A prison; a penitentiary : see Cage.

2. (Scots').—A saucy man with a sharp nose—[Jamieson].

3. (colonial).—A three-penny piece.

4. (venery).—The female pudendum: see MONOSYLLABLE. [Properly of sows.]

TO HAVE NO INK IN THE PEN, verb. phr. (old).—See quot.

b. 1547. Wever, Lusty Juventus [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), ii. 97]. When there is no more ink in the pen*, I will make a Shift as well as other men. [* Note by Hazlitt: 'an indelicate figure, which occurs in jest-books and other early literature.']

Knight of the pen, subs, phr. (common).—An author or journalist.

1864. Reader, 22 Oct., 505. i. The best guard against any such spirit, is that the publisher should be a knight of the pen himself.

Penance-board, subs. phr. (old).—The pillory.—B.E. (c.1696); Grose (1785).