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 1865. Major Downing's Letters, 35. Public affairs go on easier than they did a spell ago.

1869. Stowe, Oldtown, 171. When Hepsy does get beat out she has spells, and she goes on awful, and they last day arter day.

1873. Trollope, Australia and New Zealand, I. 84. Having a spell—what we should call a short holiday.

1877. R. W. Dixon, Hist. Ch. Eng., xix. After a grievous spell of eighteen months on board the French galleys.

1880. G. N. Oakey, Victoria in 1880, 114. He spelled upon the ground; a hollow Gum Bore up his ample back, and bade him rest.

1887. C. C. Warner, Pilgrimage, 145. No, I hain't got a girl now. I had one a spell, but I'd rather do my own work.

1887. Howells, Annie Kilburn, xvi. Don't you want I should spell you a little while, Miss Kilburn?

1890. Boldrewood, Colonial Reformer, xxiv. 328. There's a hundred and fifty stock-horses there, spelling for next winter's work.

1896. Bald. Spencer, Horne Exp., 48. Beside a water-pool we spelled for a day.

Verb. (thieves').—To advertise: spelt in the lear = wanted (q.v.).

To spell for (or at), verb. phr. (colloquial).—To desire; to hanker after: indirectly.

1821. Coombe, Syntax, III. iv. Syntax with native keenness felt At what the cunning tradesman spelt.

See Baker; Backward; Spellken.

Spell-binder, subs. phr. (American).—A speaker who holds (or thinks he holds) his hearers 'spell-bound.'

Spell-ken (Spell or Speelken), subs. phr. (old).—A theatre (Grose and Vaux).

c. 1800. Jackson [quoted by Byron in notes to Don Juan, xi. 19]. If you at the spellken can't hustle, You'll be hobbled in making a Clout.

1819. Vaux, Memoirs, s.v. Push When any particular scene of crowding is alluded to, they say, the push at the spell doors; the push at the stooping-match.

1823. Byron, Don Juan, xi. 19. Who in a row like Tom could lead the van, Booze in the Ken, or at the spellken hustle?

Spend. To spend the mouth, verb. phr. (old).—To give voice; to talk; and (of dogs) to bark.

1593. Shakspeare, Venus and Adonis, 695. Then do they spend their mouths.

Spend-all, subs. phr. (old).—A prodigal; a spendthrift.

1591. Lyly, Man in the Moone. Thy wife shall be enamoured of some spend-all, which shall wast all as licentiously as thou hast heaped together laboriously.

1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Allarga la mano, a spend all, a wast-good.

Spendings, subs. phr. (venery).—Semen; cream (q.v.). Hence to spend = to ejaculate.

1598. Shakspeare, All's Well, ii. 3, 296. He wears his honour in a box unseen, That hugs his kicky-wicky here at home, Spending his manly marrow in her arms.

d. 1680. Rochester, Works (1718), 'The Debauchee,' 143. I spend in her hand and spue in her lap. Ibid., 'A Ramble,' &c., 82. A passive pot for fools to spend in. Ibid., 'The Disappointment.' May'st thou ne'er piss that did'st refuse to spend.

1772. Bridges, Burlesque Homer, 196. With such a tool I thought he'd split her she held it fast, and made it stand, And spend its venom in her hand.

d. 1892. Whitman, Children of Adam. my love-spendings.

Spess, subs. (Felsted School).—See quot.

1899. Felstedian, July, 66. Others calling out 'frightful spesses,' which word is 'specimens.'