Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 7.pdf/43

 1611. Cotgrave, Dict., s.v. Bravache. A roister, cutter, swaggerer, swash buckler, one thats ever vaunting of his owne valour.

1625, Jonson, Staple of News, v. 1. I do confess a swashing blow.

1636. Heywood, Love's Mistress, 25. Ille ipse, the same; I desire no more than this sheep-hook in my hand to encounter with that swash-buckler.

1637. Davenant, Brit. Triumph. [Nares.] With courtly knights, not roaring country swashes.

1662. Fuller, Worthies, 'London.' A ruffian is the same with a swaggerer, so called, because endeavouring to make that side to swag or weigh down whereon he ingageth. The same also with swash-*buckler, from swashing or making a noise on bucklers.

1677. Ovid de Arte Antandi, 141. Or score out husbands in the charcoal ashes, With country knights, nor roaring city swashes.

1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 143. The lovely Aurora metamorphosed herself in a twinkling, and resumed her swashing outside.

Swash-bucket, subs. phr. (common).—A slattern.

Swat, subs. (old).—1. A blow. As subs. = to strike; to hit.

Verb. (school).—To work hard; to sweat (q.v.). [Orig. dialectical.] Also as subs. = hard study: spec. (Royal Military Academy) = mathematics.

Swatchel, subs. (Punch and Judy).—Punch. Hence swatchel (or schwassle)-box = the Punch and Judy show; swatchel-cove = a Punch and Judy man: spec. the patterer. The other terms connected with this drama of the streets are:—Mozzy = Judy; darkey = the negro; vampo = the clown; vampire = the ghost; buffer = the dog; buffer-figure = the dog's master; crocodile = the demon; filio = the baby; the frame = the street arrangement; peepsies = the panpipes; nobbing-slum = the bag for collecting money; the letter cloth = the advertisement; tambour = the drum; the stalk (or prop) = the gallows; the slum fake = the coffin; the slum = the call.

1887. Henley, Villon's Good Night. You swatchel-coves that pitch and slam.

Swattled, adj. (common).—Drunk: see Screwed.

Swear, subs. (colloquial).—An oath; a cuss (q.v.): also swear-word. Also (colloquial) to swear at (said of anything incongruous): e.g. 'His frock coat swore at his bowler-hat; to swear like a lord (trooper, etc.) = to volley oaths, to make the air blue (q.v.); to swear through a nine inch plank (nautical) = to back up any lie (C. Russell: 'a favourite expression of Lord Nelson when referring to American skippers').

1531. Elyot, Governour (1834), 87. He that sweareth deep, sweareth like a lord.

1651. Cartwright, Ordinary [Dodsley, Old Plays (Reed), x. 295]. Gull'd by my swear; by my swear, gull'd. Ibid. I lose the taking, by my swear, of taking As much, whiles that I am receiving this.

1672. Ray, Proverbs, 'He'll swear through a nine inch board, a dagger out of sheath, the devil out of hell, 'till he's black in the face.'

1756. Foote, Eng. Returned from Paris. [To] swear like a trooper.

18[?]. Elect. Review (Amer.). [Century.] There has been in the past an immense quantity of scolding, occasionally a swear-word.