Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 5.pdf/38

 1708-10. Swift, Polite Conversations, i. Miss. Lord! Mr. Neverout, you are as pert as a Pearmonger this Morning. Neverout. Indeed, Miss, you are very handsome. Miss. Poh! I know that already; tell me news.

New Settlements, subs. phr. (old Oxford Univ.).—See quot.

1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue [Egan], s.v. New Settlements, Final reckoning.

Newtown-pippin, subs. (common).—A cigar: see Weed.

Newy, subs. (Winchester College).—The 'cad' paid to look after the canvas tent in 'Commoner' field.

New York grab, subs. phr. (American).—

1858. W. W. Pratt, Ten Nights in a Bar-room, i., 1. First throw, or New York grab?

N.F., subs. (printers').—A knowing tradesman. [An abbreviation of 'no flies'].

N.G., phr. (common).—'No go'; 'no good'; of no avail.

1888. Cincinnati Weekly Gazette, 22 Feb. His claim was n.g.

N.H. (That is, Norfolk Howard), subs. phr. (common).—A bug. [From one Bugg who, it is said, so changed his name in 1863].

Nias, subs. (old).—A simpleton. [From the Fr. niasis].

1616. Ben Jonson, The Devil's an Ass, i., 3. Laugh'd at, sweet bird! Is that the scruple? come, come, Thou art a niaise.

Nib (or Nib-cove), subs. (beggars').—1. A gentleman. Whence half-nibs = one who apes gentility (Fr. un herz); Niblike (or nibsome) = gentlemanly; Nibsomest-cribs = the best houses.—Vaux (1819); Grose (1823). Cf. Nibs.

1834. Ainsworth, Rookwood, iii., v. He's a rank nib. Ibid. And ne'er was there seen such a dashing prig, All my togs were so niblike.

1839. Reynolds, Pickwick Abroad, 223. Betray his pals in a nibsome game.

2. See Neb.

3. (printers').—A fool.

Verb. (old).—1. To catch; to arrest; to nab (q.v.).—Vaux (1819); Goose (1823).

2. See Nibble.

Nibble, verb. (old).—1. To catch; to steal. Also to cheat. Whence nibbler (or nibbing-cull) = a petty thief or fraudulent dealer: see quot, 1819.

1608. Middleton, Trick to Catch the Old One, i., 4. The rogue has spied me now: he nibbled me finely once.

1775. Old Song [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 54]. For nibbing culls I always hate.

1819. Vaux, Memoirs, s.v. Nibble, to pilfer trifling articles, not having spirit to touch anything of consequence.

1823. Bee, Dict. Turf, etc., s.v. Nibble. I only nibbled half a bull for my regulars [= I only got a half-crown for my share]. There now I feel you nibbling: said by thieves when they are teaching each other to pick pockets.

1823. Grose, Vulg. Tongue [Egan], s.v. Nibbler. A pilferer, or petty thief.

1843. W. T. Moncrieff, The Scamps of London, iii., 1. You are spliced—nibbled at last—well, I wish you joy.

2. (venery).—To copulate. Also to do a nibble. See Greens and Ride.

3. (colloquial).—To consider a bargain, or an opportunity, eagerly but carefully: as a fish considers bait.

To get a nibble, verb. phr. (tailors').—To get an easy job.