Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 5.pdf/45

 Nigger-spit, subs. phr. (popular).—The half-candied lumps in cane sugar.

Niggle (or Nig), verb. (old).—1. See quots., Greens and Ride. Also Niggling, subs. = Copulation.—B. E. (c. 1696); Grose (1785).

1567. Harman, Caveat (1814), p. 66. To nygle, to have to do with a woman carnally.

1608. Dekker, Lanthorne and Candlelight [Grosart, Works (1886), iii., 203]. If we niggle, or mill a bowzing Ken.

1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 39 (H. Club's Rept. 1874). Nigling, company keeping with a woman: this word is not used now, but wapping, and thereof comes the name wapping morts, Whoores.

1612. Dekker, 'Bing out, bien Morts,' v. [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 11]. And wapping Dell that niggles well, and takes loure for her hire.

1641. Brome, Jovial Crew [Farmer, Musa Pedestris (1896), 25]. The autum-mort finds better sport In bowsing than in nigling.

2. (common).—To trifle. Also Niggling = trifling.—Grose (1785).

1632. Massinger, Emperor of the East, v., 3. Take heed, daughter, You niggle not with your conscience.

3. (artists').—To attend excessively to detail; to work on a small scale, with a small brush, to a small purpose.

1883. W. Black, Yolande, ch. xlix. Do you think Mr. Meteyard could get that portrait of you finished off to-day? Bless my soul, it wasn't to have been a portrait at all!—it was only to have been a sketch. And he has kept on niggling and niggling away at it—why?

Night, subs. (old).—Combinations are Night-bird (q.v.); night-cap (q.v.); night-fossicker (Australian mining) = a nocturnal thief of quartz or dust: whence night-fossicking; night-gear (or -piece) = a bedfellow, male or female; night-hawk (-hunter, -snap, or -trader) = night-bird (q.v.); night-house = (1) a public-house licensed to open at night, and (2) a brothel; night-hunter = (1) a poacher, and (2) a night-bird (q.v.); night-jury = a band of night brawlers: night-magistrate = (1) the head of a watch-house, whence (2) a constable; night-man = see quot., 1785, and gold-finder; night-physic (or -work) = copulation: night-rale (or -rail) = (1) night apparel, and (2) a combing-cloth; night-shade = night-bird, 2 (q.v.); night-sneaker = see quot., 1598; night-walker = night-bird (q.v ), whence night-walking = prowling at night for robbery, prostitution, etc.

1598, Florio, Worlde of Wordes, p. 105. Wanton or effeminate lads, night sneakers.

1598. Shakspeare, 2 Hen. IV., iii., 2. Shallow. And is Jane Nightwork alive? She was a bona-roba certain she's old, and had Robin Nightwork by old Nightwork before I came to Clement's Inn.

b.1600. Grim the Collier [Dodsley, Old Plays (1874), viii., 463]. Except my poor Joan here, and she is my own proper night-gear.

1632. Massingeb, Maid of Honour, ii., 2. Which of your grooms, Your coachman, fool, or footman, ministers night-physic to you?

1637. Massinger, Guardian, iii., 5. Now I think I had ever a lucky hand in such smock night-work.

1639. Mayne, City Match, v., 7. Panders, avoid my house! O devil! are you my wife's night-pieces.

c.1696. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v., Night-rale. A woman's combing cloth, to dress her head in. Ibid. Night-magistrate.