[f. stem of CHOKE v. + PEAR.]
† 1. A name given to rough, harsh and unpalatable varieties of the pear, used for perry.
1530. Palsgr., 154. Estrangvillon, a choke peare.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 108 a. The wyld Pere tre or chouke Pere tre or worry Pear tre.
1563. Homilies, II. Almsdeeds, II. (1859), 391. The crab and choak-pear seem outwardly to have sometime as fair a red, and as mellow a colour, as the fruit which is good indeed.
a. 1664. Beale, Aph. Cider, xlv. in Evelyn, Pomona. Of such unsufferable taste that hungry swine will … shake it out of their mouths;… the clowns call other pears, of best liquor, Choak-pears, and will offer money to such as dare adventure to taste them.
1672. Grew, Anat. Plants, vi. § 3 (1682), 41. The Calculary (most observable in rough-tasted, or Choak-Pears).
2. fig. Something difficult or impossible to ‘swallow,’ make away with, or get over; a difficulty; a severe reproof; a ‘settler,’ arch.; a gag (obs.). (Cf. F. poire d’angoisse, G. (Folter) Birne.)
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 8. He had givne us mani a choke pare in his dais.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 321. He gave him a choake-peare to stoppe his breath. Ibid. (1592), Midas, IV. iii. 51. The Barbar shal know euerie haire of my chin to be as good as a choakpeare for his purse.
1617. Collins, Def. Bp. Ely, II. viii. 341. S. Austens testimonie … is a choake-peare that you cannot swallow.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., Pref. 12. Who boggle so much at the Trinity, and look upon it as the choak-pear of Christianity.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa, II. viii. 37. I believe I have given her a choak-pear. Ibid., 40–1 (J.). Who, pardon my going so low, have been accustomed to give choke-pears to those you vouchsafe to write against.
1846. L. Hunt, Stories fr. Ital. Poets, I. 102. A great choke-pear to the commentators.
1868. N. I. Lucas, Germ.-Engl. Dict., Birne,… choke-pear (as instrument of torture, forced into the mouth to prevent shrieking).
