Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 6–7 veny, veney, venie, 7 venee, veany; 6–7 vennie, venney, venny; 8 dial. vinny, 9 finney. [Alteration of VENUE, with the terminal vowel weakened through loss of stress. Freq. c. 1580–c. 1640.]
1. A hit or thrust in fencing; a wound or blow; = VENUE 2.
1578. H. Wotton, Courtlie Controuersie, 27. In daunger to receiue a venny at my hande.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. i. 813. A sacred Fencer … Whose two-hand Sword, at every veny,… keenly slyces through whole Troops at once.
1635. Long Meg of Westminster, vii. (1816), 14. Or else take that staffe and haue a bout with me for thy brakefast, hee that giues the first three Venies scape free.
1652. Urquhart, Jewel, Wks. (1834), 223. The three aforesaid gentlemen, who were wounded in the very same parts of their bodies by other such three venees as these.
b. fig. and in fig. context; esp. a sharp retort, a pungent remark.
1586. T. Bright, A Treatise of Melancholie, xxxvi. 224. Accompt not these small venies of Sathan for deadly woundes.
1592. Greene, Def. Conny-Catching, To Rdr. I meane … to giue him such a veny, that he shalbe afrayd heereafter to disparage that mysticall science of Conny-catching.
1606. Heywood, 2nd Pt. If you know not me (1609), F 4 b. Iohn. Name the weapon. Courtez. Nothing but kisses, and enticing lookes. Iohn. Then ward your lips well, or youle ha the first venney.
1615. J. Hall, in Certaine Lett. (1624), 32. As for these vaine flourishes of mine, if he had not taken a veny in them, and found it smart, he had not strooke again so churlishly?
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. § 55. That whilst we lye at close ward against one vice we lye [not] open to the vennie of another.
c. Veny for veny, tit for tat.
1611. Chapman, Widow’s T., Wks. 1873, III. 20. So, there’s venie for venie, I haue giuen’t him ’ith speeding place for all his confidence.
2. A bout or turn of fencing; = VENUE 3.
1594. Greene, Fr. Bacon & Fr. Bungay, 1944. Why standst thou Serlsbie? doubtst thou of thy life? A venie man: faire Margret craues so much.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., I. i. 296. I bruiz’d my shin … with playing at Sword and Dagger with a Master of Fence (three veneys for a dish of stew’d Prunes).
1615. Heywood, Foure Prentises, I. i. I am no sooner got into the fencing-school To play a venie with some friend [etc.].
1673. Jackson’s Wks., III. 134. I had a Venie or ’Bout for it, and the Intent, though not the Hap, to kill him.
fig. 1606. Dekker, Seven Sins, III. (Arb.), 28. One Vennie more with thee, and then I haue done.
1618. Mynshul, Ess. & Charac. Prison, Jailers, 34. One Venny more, and if that hit, so, if not … I will lay downe the Bucklers.
1644. Sir E. Dering, Prop. Sacr., Pref. c. And now, my sacrificing Jesuite, stand forth and let us occasionally here try a veny.
3. south. dial. (See quots.)
1746. Exmoor Scolding (E.D.S.), 139. Dist hire ma, Dem? Chell ha tether Vinny wi’ tha. Ibid., Gloss., Vinny,… a scolding Bout.
1881. Isle of Wight Gloss., 11. Finney, a frolic; to have to do with. ‘I’ll hey a bit of a finney at that’; I’ll have something to do with that.
