Also spintext. [f. SPIN v. + TEXT sb., originally as a suggestive surname.] A clergyman or parson, esp. one who preaches long or weak sermons.
1693. Congreve, Old Bachelor, I. i. Talks of sending for Mr. Spintext to keep me Company…. Spintext! Oh, the fanatick one-eyed parson!
c. 1700. T. Brown, Lett. fr. Dead, Wks. II. 236. Representing Mr. Spin-text the Preacher, or Mr. Love-Lady the Chaplain, after a ridiculous manner.
1712. Ward, Yng. Libertine’s Answ., Wks. III. II. 33. Imploying some superannuated Spintext, to rattle off your poor Nephew.
1788. V. Knox, Winter Even., I. III. ii. 243. The race of formal spintexts and solemn saygraces is nearly extinct.
1834. Southey, in Corr. w. C. Bowles (1881), 313. Poor Newton seems to have sat down to them as … a sorry spin-text to his sermon at the latter end of the week.
1889. Antiquary, Nov., 194. Barrow was of the obsolete family of the Spintexts.
