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 1788. V. Knox, Winter Evenings, ix. The race of formal spintexts, and solemn saygraces is nearly extinct.

Spirit. To spirit away, verb. phr. (old).—To kidnap (B. E. and Grose). Hence spiriter = an abductor.

1675. Cotton, Burlesque on Burlesque, 257. While the poor boy half dead with fear, Writh'd back to view his spiriter.

c. 1730. Arbuthnot and Pope [Ency. Dict.]. The ministry had him spirited away, and carried abroad as a dangerous person.

Spiritual Flesh-broker, subs. (old).—A parson: see Black-spy (B. E. and Grose).

Spirit of Hartshorn. See Horn.

Spit, subs. (colloquial).—1. A speaking likeness; orig. 'as like as if he'd spit it'; usually in phrase 'the spit of (someone named).'—Grose. Fr. C'est son père tout craché.

1602. Breton, Merry Wonders, 8. Twoo girles the one as like an owle, the other as like an urchin, as if they had beene spitte out of the mouths of them.

1675. Cotton, Burl. on Burl., 278. Nay, I'm as like my dad, in sooth, As he had spit me out on's mouth. Ibid., Virgil Travestie, iv. (1770), 60. I dare be sworn 'twas thou did'st get him, He's e'en as like thee as th' had'st spit him.

1698. Farquhar, Love and a Bottle, i. 1. Poor child! he's as like his own dadda as if he were spit out of his mouth.

1751. Smollett, Per. Pickle, xiii. He is the very moral of you, and as like as if he had been spit out of your own mouth.

1851-61. Mayhew, Lond. Lab., II. 488. The very spit of the one I had for years; it's a real portrait.

2. (Old Cant).—A sword (Grose).

1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, 309. Going naked with a spit on his shoulder.

3. (printers').—An obelisk or dagger; : used as a reference mark.

d. 1656. Hall, To Hugh Cholmley [Latham]. Either your starres or your spits shall be welcome to my margent.

Verb. (colloquial).—1. To show signs of rain: also as subs. = drops of rain.

1818. Ferrier, Marriage, vii. 'And'—putting her hand out of the window—'I think it's spitting already.'

d. 1870. Dickens, Sketches, Tales, vii. It had been spitting with rain for the last half-hour, and now began to pour in good earnest.

1887. Warner, Pilgrimage, 175. Spits of rain dashed in their faces.

2. (venery).—To foraminate a woman.

Phrases.—A spit and a stride = a very short distance; to spit at one = to insult; to spit it out = to speak plainly; to spit white (white broth, or sixpences) = to expectorate from a dry but healthy mouth: Fr. cracher des pièces de dix sous; to put four quarters on the spit = to know carnally.

1594. Lyly, Mother Bombie, iii. x [Nares]. That makes them spit white broath, as they do.

1598. Shakspeare, 2 Hen. IV., i. 2, 237. If it be a hot day, and I brandish anything but a bottle, I would I might never spit white again.

1603. Measure for Meas., ii. 1. As she spit in his face, so she defied him.

1622. Massinger, Virgin Martyr, iii. 3. Had I been a pagan still, I should not have spit white for want of drink.

1772. Graves, Spiritual Quixote, IV. vi. He had thought it rather a dry discourse; and beginning to spit sixpences (as his saying was), he gave hints to Mr. Wildgoose to stop at the first public-house they should come to.

1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 371. You have no one to quarrel with but yourself; for I do not see so much as a cat to spit at you.