Also 1, 7 sopp, 4 (9 dial.) zop, 4–5, 7 sope, 4–7 soppe; 8– Sc. (pl.) saps. [OE. sopp, sop-, app. f. the weak grade of súpan SUP v.1 In ME. prob. reinforced by the synonymous OF. sope, soupe (see SOUP sb.), and in later senses partly from SOP v.
The exact relationship of the OE. to the OF. word is not clear. Cf. also MDu. soppe, zoppe (WFlem. zoppe), sop, ON. soppa (a foreign word), in the same sense.]
1. A piece of bread or the like dipped or steeped in water, wine, etc., before being eaten or cooked.
a. 1100. in Napier, O.E. Glosses, lvi. 10. Offulam, sopp.
1340. Ayenb., 107. Ase is a zop of hot bryead huanne me hit poteþ in-to wyn.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, iii. (Andrew), 375. Þane gaf he ilkane a sope with his hand of his awne cope.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 53. Ȝet sugurt soppes I nyl forȝete, Þou tost shyves of gode manchete [etc.].
c. 1450. Two Cookery Bks., 90. Then cast the same licour vppon þe Soppes, and serue hit forthe fore a good potage.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, V. xii. Euery daye the sayd dogge hadde soppes of brede, and of drye breed he hadde ynough.
1520. Calisto & Melib., in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 79. With a toast in wine by the fire I could sit With two dozen sops the colic to quell.
1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1860), 9. Go to then, and take salt to your soppes, lest sorrow attaint them.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 117. The fairest Weomen will dine with the same [wine], and a sop of bread dipped in it.
a. 1632. T. Taylor, God’s Judgem., II. v. (1642), 68. He would set before his guests onely … two sops and a few apples.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, VI. 567. The prudent Sibyl had before prepar’d A sop, in honey steep’d.
1801. Southey, St. Patrick’s Purgatory, ii. Three sops were brought of bread and wine.
1825. Brockett, N. C. Gloss., Sop, a piece of bread soaked in dripping under the roast.
1862. C. C. Robinson, Dial. Leeds, 416. Sops. Bread broken preparatory to being added to any liquid, or when so added.
attrib. a. 1000. in Thorpe, Dipl. Angl. Sax. (1865), 527. Anæ soppcuppan an þrym pundan. Ibid. (1012), 553. Ic ann minæn cinæhlafordæ … anræ sopcuppan.
fig. 1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 175. If he soupeth, ette but a soppe of spera-in-deo.
1631. Massinger, Believe as You List, IV. iii. Yf there bee a Cerberus, yf I serve not To make three sopps for his three heads,… The cur is divelishe hungrie.
† b. To eat (or take) a sop, to make a slight repast. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 7547. Preyenge … Þat he wolde … herberwe him wyþ, A day to ete a sop, & drynke, & se his werk.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1135. Þe leue lorde … Ete a sop hastyly, when he hade herde masse.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 7932. Than thei ȝede and toke a sop, Thei ete a sop, and afftir dranke.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xii. 39 (Harl. MS.). If þat ȝe woll voche-safe to take a soppe with me.
c. Const. in (or † of) the liquid in which the bread, etc., is dipped or steeped.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 334 (Harl.). Wel loved he in the morn a sop of [v.r. in] wyn. Ibid., Merch. T., 631. Thanne he taketh a sope in fyne clarree.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 28. She made euery day dresse … for hem disshes withe soppes of mylke.
c. 1491. Chast. Goddes Chyld., 13. Hit is nede that he take a soppe in ale or in wine before mete.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 363. Suche as wold, toke a sop in wine. Ibid. (a. 1533), Huon, xiv. 38. They toke a soppe of wyne.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. III. Law, 899. Preferring far, Red-Herrings, Rashers, and (some) sops in Tar.
1832. W. Stephenson, Gateshead Local Poems, 95. And when at the fire they’re roasting, We’re all to have sops in the grease.
d. Sop in the pan, a piece of bread soaked in the dripping from roasting meat. Also fig.
1621. Fletcher, Pilgrim, III. vi. You shall have no more sops i’ th’ pan else, nor no Porridge.
1785. Mrs. A. M. Bennett, Juvenile Indiscretions (1786), I. 61. A plate of toast and grease, vulgarly called sop in the pan.
1814. Scott, Wav., xxv. This he considered as a mere sop in the pan to stay the appetite of Edward’s curiosity.
e. A dish composed of soaked bread.
1845. Youatt, Dog, ii. 36. Milk at first, and afterwards milk and sop alternately, may be used.
1892. P. H. Emerson, Son of Fens, xxxii. 334. ‘What are you going to ha’ for breakfast this morning?’ mother ax him. ‘A baisin of sop.’
2. transf. and fig. † a. Used to denote something of small value. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIII. 124. [He] hath … sette alle sciences at a soppe saue loue one.
1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 2261. Tushe, these maters that ye moue are but soppys in ale.
† b. Used of persons in respect of some pervading quality or property. Obs.
c. 1480. Henryson, Test. Cres., 407. O sop of sorrow, sonken into cair! O Catiue Creisseid!
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, II. 104. Thair was the sop of science, I suppois: Thair was the flour of fairheid [etc.].
1605. Shaks., Lear, II. ii. 35. For though it be night, yet the Moone shines, Ile make a sop oth’ Moonshine of you.
c. A dull or foolish fellow; a milksop.
c. 1625. Fletcher & Mass., Elder Brother, IV. i. (1637), F 4 b. Ye have no more spirit than three sleepy sops.
1859. Slang Dict., 98. Sop, a soft, or foolish man.
d. A person or thing thoroughly soaked or steeped in some way.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. iv. 162. Throw him into the Malmesey-Butte in the next roome…. O excellent deuice; and make a sop of him. Ibid. (1606), Tr. & Cr., I. iii. 113. The bounded Waters, Should … make a soppe of all this solid Globe.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 361. Away he goes to make … a sop in the briny broth of Ocean.
e. Something given to appease or pacify the recipient; a bribe.
An allusion to the sop given to Cerberus by Æneas: see CERBERUS.
1665. Sir R. Howard, Committee, IV. i. 108. Do you want some Fees? I’le perish in a dungeon before I’le consume with throwing Sops to such Curs.
1725. Swift, Corr., Wks. 1841, II. 576. I had lately a letter without a name, telling me that I have got a sop to hold my tongue.
1845. Bright, Sp., Irel., 16 April (1876), 150. This bill … is a sop given to the priests.
1873. Spencer, Stud. Sociol., xi. 288. I do not want these sops and gratuities.
1894. Times, 27 Aug., 4/2. This lavish expenditure in connexion with the birthday of the Empress-Dowager is intended as a sop to the disaffected.
3. A tuft of wet green grass amongst hay.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 33. The many greene soppes that are in it will bee a meanes to make it … moulde in the cocke.
a. 1743. J. Relph, Misc. Poems (1747), 13.
| A finer hay-day seer was never seen; | |
| The greenish sops already luik less green. |
1828–. in dial. glossaries (Cumbld., Yks., Lancs., etc.).
1863. Mrs. Toogood, Spec. Yorksh. Dial. (MS.), The hay is not in very good order; there are sops in it.
4. A copious collection or accumulation of some liquid; soppy or soaked state or condition.
1700. Rector’s Bk. Clayworth (1910), 132. Jan. 20th, a great sop of wett on ye ground.
1856. Hawthorne, Eng. Note-bks. (1879), II. 38. A great pool and sop of blood.
b. A thorough wetting or soaking.
1729. Dulcinead, 5.
| One rainy Day t’ avoid a Sop, | |
| In Church young J——s his Head did pop. |
c. 1711. Petiver, Gazophyl., VII. lxii. It grows on a sort of Jack or Sop Tree call’d in Luzone Rhymay.
6. A sopper or dipper. rare–1.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 281. The English word that conveys the proper meaning of Tunkers is Sops or Dippers.
