Also 6–7 cogg(e. [This vb. and the corresponding COG sb.4 appear together in 1532, as ‘Ruffians’ terms’ of dice-play; whence they passed into general use in various transferred senses. As in other cant terms, the origin has not been preserved; but the persistent notion is that of dishonest or fraudulent play, cheating.]
1. intr. (Dicing.) To practise certain tricks in throwing dice.
From contextual evidence it would seem that ‘cogging’ generally designated some sleight of hand, made use of to control the falling of a die; occasionally it may mean the substitution of a false die for the true one. The notion that it meant ‘to load the dice’ appears to be a mistake of modern dictionaries, which has, however, strongly influenced the use of the word by modern novelists, etc.; cf. esp. COGGED ppl. a. The following quotations show the change of explanation in the Dicts.:
c. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Cog, to cheat at Dice; Cog a Die, to conceal or secure a Die.
1730–6. Bailey, Cog, to conceal a Die, or by Art to make it come up what Number one will have.
1755. Johnson, To cog a die, to secure it, so as to direct its fall; to falsify.
So 1847. in Craig.
1847–78. Halliw., Cog, to load a die: so some later Dicts.
1532. Dice Play (1850), 28. When fine squariers only be stirring, there rests a great help in cogging; that is when the undermost die standeth dead by the weighty fall of his fellow; so that if vi be my chance and x yours, grant that upon the die I cogg and keep alway an ace deuce or tray, I may perhaps soon cast vi. but never x.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph. (Arb.), 54. What false dise vse they? as dise stopped with quicksilver and heares … and if they be true dise, what shyfte will they make to set ye one of them with slyding, with cogging, with foysting, with coytinge as they call it.
1586. Newton, trans. Danæus’ Diceplay, vi. Any cogging panion, or shifting mate, that … goeth about to … strike the dyce.
1594. Lyly, Moth. Bomb., I. iii. My hands shake so, that wert thou in place where, I would teach thee to cog.
1604. W. Terilo, Fr. Bacon’s Proph., 439. Now cogge and foist that list.
1648. Hexham, Dutch Dict., Botten, to Strike a die, or to Cogge.
b. transf. To cheat at cards.
1592. Greene, Groatsw. Wit. He knew the caste to cogge at cardes.
2. trans. To cog a die or the dice: fraudulently to control or direct their fall.
1565. Harding, in Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 127. Through Foisting and Cogging their Die, and other false play.
1565. Jewel, ibid. (Reply to prec.), Touching Cogging and Foisting, I maruell M. Harding, being so graue a man, would borrow Ruffians termes to scoffe with all.
1567. Turberv., To his Friend P., Of Courting (R.). To shake the bones and cog the craftie dice.
1604. W. Terilo, Fr. Bacon’s Proph., 212. No cutting of a Carde, Nor cogging of a Dye.
1656. Hobbes, Liberty, Necess., & C. (1841), 410. A man may deliberate whether he will cast the dice or not; but it were folly to deliberate whether he will cast ambs-ace or not, because it is not in his power, unless he be a cheater that can cog the dice, or the dice be false dice.
1755. Freethinker’s Catech., 16. To use my Hands to palm an Ace or cog a Die.
1824. Hist. Gaming, 34. He would cog the dice to a man’s face, and if detected with his finger in the box, would give the lie and show fight instantly.
1862. Lytton, Str. Story, II. 318. Man cogs the dice for himself ere he rattles the box for his dupes.
b. With extension: To cog forth, to cog in (a die).
1603. Harsnet, Pop. Impost., 104. Why might not they to keepe the stage ful, cog in a deuil when they listed, at gamesters cogge in a Die.
1616–61. Holyday, Persius, 311. That my fellow might not put false play Upon me, neatly cogging forth a die Out of the small-neck’d casting box.
1641. Milton, Animadv., Postscr., At that primero of piety the Pope and Cardinals are the better gamesters, and will cogge a Die into heav’n before you.
† 3. intr. To employ fraud or deceit, to cheat.
1542. [see COGGING vbl. sb.1 attrib.].
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 143. Now stealeth he, now will he craue, and now will he coosen and cog.
1589. Hay any Work, 39. Did not I say truely of thee, yt thou canst cog, face and lye, as fast as a dog can trot.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, V. i. 95. Scambling, out-facing, fashion-mongring boyes, That lye, and cog, and flout, depraue, and slander.
1615. T. Adams, Lycanthropy, 14. To … be proud with the Spaniard, cogge with a Iew, insult with a Turke, drinke downe a Dutchman, and tell lyes with the Deuill—for a wager.
a. 1683. Oldham, Wks. & Rem. (1686), 69.
| Cog, sham, out-face, deny, equivocate, | |
| Into a thousand shapes your selves translate. |
1873. Slang Dict., Cog … Also … to crib from another’s book, as schoolboys often do. This is called ‘cogging over.’
1886. Cheshire Gloss., Cogging, cheating or deceiving.
b. trans. To cheat, deceive.
1629. J. Maxwell, trans. Herodian (1635), 110. Hee had cogged and cheated the soldiers, and was not able to keepe up his Credit with them.
† 4. To use feigned language in sport; to jest, quibble. Obs. (or arch.).
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Log., II. xvii. 114. Socrates in this sort cogged with the olde Græcian Sophisters, making them say and unsay.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXIX. xiii. 1030. Thou thinkest belike that thou art jesting and cogging [cavillari] with thy lover Ebutius.
1636. Heywood, Love’s Mistr., IV. i. Wks. (1874), V. 139. Oh but see Where hee stands cogging with him.
1850. G. P. R. James, Old Oak Chest, III. 33. Thinking that he and Master William have quarrelled, when he has been cogging with him all the time.
† 5. To employ feigned flattery; to fawn, wheedle.
1583. Babington, Commandm., ix. Wks. (1637), 92. To lie, to flatter, to fawne, to halt, to cogge, to glose … whatsoever may be profitable to us.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., III. iii. 76. Come, I cannot cog, and say thou art this and that.
a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal, 206/2. He would almost endure any thing, cogging with the rich and childless, in hope of an estate.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. (1686), III. viii. 89. They are best qualified to thrive in it [the world], who can finely cog and gloze.
1728. Songs Costume (1849), 213. He flatter’d and cog’d, to be thought on the king’s side.
† b. trans. To wheedle (a person) out of or into a thing, or (a thing) from a person. Obs.
1607. Shaks., Cor., III. ii. 133. Ile Mountebanke their Loues, Cogge their Hearts from them.
1645. Milton, Colast., Wks. (1851), 365. Jesting and frisking … to cog a laughter from us.
1646. J. Hall, Poems, 11. If some fortune cogge them into Love. Ibid., Horæ Vac., 44. Vice many times Cog’d virtue out of the Chariot, and rode in her stead in Triumph.
1652. J. Wadsworth, trans. Sandoval’s Civ. Wars Spain, 168. Rhetorical expressions, to cog the people into a Consent.
c. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Cog a Dinner, to wheedle a Spark out of a Dinner.
1725. New Cant. Dict., Cog a Clout, or Cog a Sneezer, beg an Handkerchief, or Snuff-box.
† 6. gen. To produce or put forth cunningly and fraudulently. Obs.
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Log., Ded. Every Cobler can cogge a Syllogisme.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., 118. [He] will cogge any thing, to serue his turne.
1592. in Greene’s Dram. Wks. (1831), I. Introd. 51. What counterfeiting and cogging of prodigious and fabulous monsters.
1651. W. Ames, Saints Security (1652), 25. That dice-play of men, when some cunning Antagonist shall cogs an argument which may seem to import a fairer probability.
† b. To foist in, into; to palm off fraudulently on, upon; to put out or utter falsely. Obs.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M., III. 393. Their forged canons, their foisting and cogging in ancient councils and decrees.
1579. Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 45. You falsly cogge in, that … it is consecrated to be offered.
1604. T. Wright, Passions, V. 286. The iniurer in a trice may cogge out a world of lyes.
1640. Sir E. Dering, Proper Sacrif. (1644), 83. You cogge in the word proper.
a. 1694. Tillotson, Wks., Pref. (1696), a 3 b (J.). The greatest outcry of all is, that I abuse his first Demonstration by virtue of a direct falsification … by cogging in the word.
1718. J. Dennis, Orig. Lett. (1721), I. 42 (J.). Blundering fustian Tragedies, or trifling insipid Comedies, have, by the Conspiracy of a Cabal, and their concerted Applauses, been cogg’d upon the Town for Master-pieces.
