Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 5.pdf/217

 1888. San Francisco Weekly Examiner, 22 Mar. There are not a few who are pipe-laying and marshalling forces for the fray.

Pipe-merry, adj. and adv. (old).—Merry: as from wine [Which is stored in pipes].

1564. Udal, Eras. Apophth., 159. Wine deliuereth the harte from all care and thought when a bodie is pipe merie.

Piper, subs. (common).—1. A detective: specifically (in England) an omnibus spy: see Nark.

2. See Pipe, subs. 1.

Drunk as a piper, phr. (old).—Very drunk: also PIPER-FOU: see Fou and Screwed.

1772. Graves, Spiritual Quixote, X. xxix. Jerry proceeded so long in tossing off horns of ale, that he became AS DRUNK AS A PIPER.

TO PAY THE PIPER (or FIDDLER), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To pay expenses; to assume responsibility. Fr. payer les violons.

1695. Congreve, Love for Love, ii. I warrant you, if he danced till doomsday, he thought I were to pay the piper.

1749. Smollett, Gil Blas [Routledge], 69. We will make Doctor Oloroso pay the piper There is no reason why the forehead of a physician should be smoother than the brow of an apothecary.

1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, 1. 267. 'I like not that music, father Cedric' 'Nor I either,' said Wamba, 'I greatly fear we shall have to pay the piper.'

d. 1868. Brougham [quoted in Century]. They introduce a new tax, and we shall have to pay the piper.

1881. Carlyle, Miscell., iv. 89. Negotiation there now was Dupont de Nemours as daysman between a Colonel and a Marquis, both in high wrath;—Buffière to pay the piper.

Piper's-cheeks, subs. (old).—Swollen or puffed cheeks.

1608. Withal, Dictionarie, 286. That hath bigge or great cheekes, as they tearme them, piper's cheekes.

Piper's-news, subs. phr. (Scots').—Stale news.

18[?]. Perils of Man, i. 29. 'I came expressly to inform you'—'Came with piper's news,' said the lady; 'which the fidler has told before you.'

Piper's-wife, subs. phr. (old).—A whore: see Tart.

Piping hot, adv. phr. (colloquial).—Very hot.

1383. Chaucer, Cant. Tales, 'Miller's Tale,' 193. Wafres pipyng hoot, out of the glede.

1530. Palsgrave, Lang: Francoyse, s.v.

c. 1600. London Cries, 12 [Halliwell]. Piping hot, smoking hot! What have I got? You have not; Hot grey pease, hot! hot! hot!

1618. Mainwaring, Letter [Lodge, Illus. Brit. Hist., iii. 403]. Foure huge brawnie piggs, pipeing hott, bilted and harnised with ropes of sausages.

1678. Cotton, Virgil Travestie [Works (1725), 103]. Yet having now fall'n to his Lot, A good rich Farm lies PIPING HOT.

1698. Congreve, Old Bachelor [Old Dramatists (1880), 163], iv. 8. She thanked me, and gave me two apples piping hot out of her under-petticoat-pocket.

1759. Goldsmith, Citizen of the World, lxv. A nice pretty bit of ox-cheek, piping-hot, and dressed with a little of my own sauce.

1821. Egan, Life in London, 11. iii. In rushed Chaffing Peter the oracle of the dustmen, piping hot from the Old Bailey, with an account of one Lummy.

Pipkin (The), subs. phr. (venery).—The female pudendum: see Monosyllable. Hence, to crack a pipkin = to deflower.—Grose (1785).

1709. Ward, London Spy, i. 16. He became one of her earliest suitors, and was very importunate with her to have the CRACKING OF HER PIPKIN.