v. slang. [Cf. WFlem. flimpe knock, slap in the face.] trans. To rob in a certain manner (see quot.).
1839. Brandon, Poverty, Mendicity & Crime, 111 (Farmer). To take a man’s watch is to flimp him, it can only be done in a crowd, one gets behind and pushes him in the back, while the other in front is robbing him.
1862. Cornh. Mag., vi. Nov., 651. We are going a flimping, buzzing, cracking, tooling, wireing, and away we go.
Hence Flimp sb. (see quot. 1857); Flimping vbl. sb. Also Flimper, one who flimps.
1857. ‘Ducange Anglicus,’ Vulg. Tongue, 8. Putting on the flimp. Garotte robbery.
1862. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, III. xi. 180. What with flimping, and with cly-faking…. ‘Flimping’ is a style of theft which I have never practised.
