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 which would compel the broker to receive. If he had capital to carry the result would not differ from that anticipated; if not he may be caught in a tight place.

1882. Biddle, Stockbrokers, 74. Spread Eagle is where a broker buys a certain stock at seller's option, and sells the same at seller's option within a certain time, on the chance that both the contracts may run the full time, and he gain the difference.

Adj. (American).—Bombastic; espec. in reference to national vanity. Whence spread-eagleism = patriotic brag. As verb. = to play the good American till all is split.

1858. N. Am. Rev., Oct. Spread-eagle style—a compound of exaggeration, effrontery, bombast and extravagance, mixed metaphors, platitudes, defiant threats thrown at the world, and irreverent appeals flung at the Supreme Being.

1871. Lowell, Study Windows, 375. We Yankees are thought to be fond of the spread-eagle style.

1873. Hist. Mag., Sept., 'Rev. of Mission of N. Amer. People.' A very singular [volume] with very much of that slam-bang, spread-eagle literature which has made George Francis Train so notorious the world over.

1884. Clemens, Huck. Finn. Read the parts over in the most splendid spread-eagle way.

1885. D. Tel., 29 Nov. A fact resented by the spread-eagleism of the place in journalistic leaders.

1887. Fort. Rev., N. S., XLI. 330. When we talk of spread-eagleism, we are generally thinking of the United States.

Spree, subs. (old).—1. A frolic. As verb. = to carouse; spreeish = drunkish: see Screwed (Grose and Bee).

1821. Egan, Life in London, II. v. Roosters and the 'peep-o'-day boys' were out on a prowl for a spree.

1825. Scott, St. Roman's Well, xx. John Blower, honest man, as sailors are aye for some spree or another, wad take me ance to see ane Mrs. Siddons.

1844. Puck, 14. The Proctor caught him in a spree, Asked his name with courtesie.

1847. Ireland Sixty Years Ago, 15. The spree would probably have ended in the total sacking of Flattery's house.

1852. Judson, Myst., &c., of New York, I. 113. Taking a cruise about town, or going on a spree.

1856. Dow, Sermons, If a young man creates his own ruination by going it loose and spreeing it tight, it is surely a disgrace.

1859. Punch, xxxvii. 22. Our friend prone to vices you never may see, Though he goes on the loose, the cut, or the spree.

1866. Winthrop, Love and Skates. He took to spreein' and liquor, and let down from a foreman to a hand.

1871. All Year Round, Sep. Out on the rampage, the loose, or the spree.

1885. D. Tel., 16 Nov. He was always of the devil-may-care sort, fond of spreeing about and lively company.

1892. Kipling, Barrack Room Ballads, 'Gentlemen Rankers.' Gentlemen rankers out on the spree, Damned from here to eternity.

Adj. (Winchester).—1. Conceited; stuck-up; of persons; (2) smart, stylish, befitting a Wykehamist. Spree-mess (see quot. c. 1840).

c. 1840. Mansfield, School Life (1866), 72. At the end of the half-year we used to have large entertainments called spree-messes, between Toy-time and Chapel, consisting of tea, coffee, muffins, cakes, &c., the funds for which were generally provided by fines inflicted during Toy-time for talking loud, slamming the door, coming in without whistling (to show that it was not a Master entering), improper language, &c., &c. Sometimes a spree-mess was given by the boys about to leave that Half.

1881. Pascoe, Public Schools. Deprive a Wykehamist of words such as quill pruff  spree  cad And his vocabulary becomes limited.

Sprig, subs. (common).—A young dandy; any well-groomed youngster.

1637. Shirley, Hyde Park, i. 1. A sprig of the nobility, That has a spirit equal to his fortunes.

1812. Coombe, Dr. Syntax in Search of Picturesque, xix. An arch young sprig, a banker's clerk.