Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 7.pdf/337

 Whindle, subs. (B. E.).—'A low or feigned crying.'

Whine, verb (B. E.).—'To cry squeekingly, as at Conventicles.'

Whiner, subs. (common).—A word; in pl. = speech, talk, gab (q.v.); spec. (thieves') prayers. to chop the whiners = to talk, to say prayers.

1830. Bulwer Lytton, Paul Clifford, p. 2, ed. 1854. I tell you, I vent first to Mother Bussblour's, who, I knows, chops the whiners morning and evening to the young ladies.

1857. Punch, 31 Jan. For them coves in Guildhall and that blessed Lord Mayor, Prigs on their four bones should chop whiners I swear.

Whip, subs. (colloquial).—1. A driver, a coachman: also knight of the whip.

1778. Sheridan, Rivals, i. 1. None of the London whips wear wigs now.

1809-12. Edgeworth, Absentee, viii. Major Benson, who was a famous whip, took his seat on the box of the barouche.

1828. Jon Bee, Picture of London, 27. To the practices and necessities of the coachmen and guard's private trade, we owe the increasing number and fresh supply of hangers-on, whose first business has been the performing fetch-and-carry services for those knights of the whip.

1837. Dickens, Pickwick, xiii. You're a wery good whip, and can do what you like with your horses.

1874. Collins, Frances, xlii. Julian Orchard proved his skill as a whip by making four screws do six miles in twenty-five minutes.

1888. Besant, Fifty Years Ago, 50. This is the famous coaching baronet than whom no better whip has ever been seen upon the road.

2. (parliamentary).—A member who (unofficially) looks after the interests of his party; prob. from whipper-in [Bryce: The whip's duties are (a) to inform every member belonging to the party when an important division may be expected, and, if he sees the member in or about the House, to keep him there until the division is called; (b) to direct the members of his own party how to vote; (c) to obtain 'pairs' for them if they cannot be present to vote; (d) to 'tell,' i.e. count the members in every party division; (e) to 'keep touch' of opinion within the party, and convey to the leader a faithful impression of that opinion, from which the latter may judge how far he may count on the support of his whole party in any course he proposes to take.] Also (3) the call made for attendance at a division, etc.; and as verb (or to whip in, or up).

1836. Dickens, Sketches by Boz. Sir Somebody Something, when he was whipper-in for the Government, brought four men out of their beds to vote in the majority, three of whom died on their way home again.

1882. Pall Mall Gaz., 9 Nov. The Liberal whips have issued a somewhat similar invitation. Ibid. Urgent whips have been issued by both sides.

c. 1888. Standard [S. J. and C.]. A four-line whip has been issued by the Government in opposition to the second reading of Lord Dunraven's Bill for the reform of the House of Lords.

4. (printers').—A compositor quick in setting type; a type-*slinger (which also see).

Verb (common).—1. To surpass, beat, defeat, overcome; hence whipping = defeat: e.g. to whip the enemy (or give them a whipping), to whip creation, etc.

d. 1859. De Quincey, Heroditus. A man without a particle of Greek whipped whole crowds of sleeping drones who had more than they could turn to any good account.