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 1699. Congreve, Way of the World, iii. 15. Mrs. Mar. No doubt you will return very much improv'd. Witw. Yes, refined like a Dutch skipper from a whale fishing.

1710. Gay, Wine [Wks. (1811), 351]. Chase brutal feuds of Belgian skippers hence.

1751. Smollett, Per. Pickle, xxxiv. By the skipper's advice the servants [carried] wine and provision on board.

1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, iv. The young skipper exultingly stamped his foot on a deck he could really call his own.

d.1882. Longfellow, Wreck of Hesperus. And the skipper had taken his little daughter To bear him company.

6. (American).—The cheese-hopper: hence skippery = full of mites.

1856. Dow, Sermons, ii. 258. The earth appears as animated as a plate of skippery cheese.

See Skip and Skipjack.

Skipper's-daughter, subs. phr. (common).—A crested wave; a white-cap (or horse).

d.1894. Stevenson, Education of an Engineer. The swell ran pretty high, and out in the open there were skipper's daughters.

Skipping, adj. (Shakespeare).—Light, giddy, volatile.

1594. Shakspeare, Love's Laboar Lost, v. 2, 771. All wanton as a child, skipping and vain. Ibid. (1598), Merchant of Venice, ii. 2, 196. Allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit. Ibid. (1602), Twelfth Night, i. 5. 'Tis not that time of moon with me to make one in so skipping a dialogue.

Skirry, subs. (old).—A run: also as verb. = to scurry (Parker, 1781).

1821. Haggart, Life, 36. He went into an entry as I skirry'd past him. Ibid., 37. The skirry became general.

Skirt, subs. (common).—In pl. = women (generic). Hence (venery) to skirt (or flutter a skirt) = to walk the streets; to do a bit of skirt = to copulate: see Ride and cf. Placket, Petti-*coat, Muslin, &c.

1899. Hyne, Fur. Adv. Capt. Kettle, xii. If you rats of men shove your way down here before all the skirt is ferried across, you'll get knocked on the head.

To sit upon one's skirts, verb. phr. (old).—To pursue.

1525-37. Ellis, Original Letters, i. iii. She will sit upon my skyrtes.

1620. Idle Houre [Halliwell]. Cross me not, Liza, nether be so perte, For if thou dost, I'll sit upon thy skirte.

1650. Howell, Familiar Letters. Touching the said archbishop, he had not stood neutrall as was promised, therefore he had justly set on his skirts.

Skirter, subs. (hunting).—1. See quot; whence (2) a hunter who does not ride straight to hounds, but make short cuts: cf. Shirker.

1870. Maine, Ency. Rural Sports, 386. A hound that has a habit of running wide of the pack is called a skirter.

d.1875. Kingsley, Go Hark! Leave cravens and skirters to dangle behind.

Skirt-foist, subs. phr. (old).—A general amorist; a poacher (q.v.)

d.1652. Wilson, Inconstant Lady [Nares]. I think there is small good intended, that Emilia did prefer him. I do not like that skirt-foist.

Skit, subs. (Grose).—1. A jest, a satire: also as verb. (Grose) = 'to wheedle.'

1779. Mrs. Cowley, Who's the Dupe? ii. 2. Come, come, none of your tricks upon travellers. I know you mean all that as a skit upon my edication.