[Short for various subst. compounds of SUB-.]
1. = SUBORDINATE.
Quot. 1696 may belong to 4; quot. 1708 is of uncertain meaning.
1696. Phillips (ed. 5), Ordinary,… the Bishop of the Diocesses Sub [ed. 1706 Deputy] at Sessions and Assizes.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 74. 2/2. Thou hast neither good humour, Policy, nor Common Civility to make a Sub dance attendance after you like any indifferent Querist.
1840. H. Spencer, in Autobiogr. (1904), I. xii. 173. I go … to complete sundry works which the Subs have left undone.
1846. Mrs. Gore, Engl. Char. (1852), 111. He is never … tyrannical with his subs, like most great potentates.
1899. Mary Kingsley’s W. Afr. Studies, App. I. 546. Had the late Mr. Consul Hewett had the fiftieth part of the ability in dealing with the natives his sub and successor … showed.
b. For various titles of subordinate officials, as sub-editor, sub-engineer, sub-lieutenant, sub-rector, sub-warden.
1837. Civil Engin. & Arch. Jrnl., I. 43/1. The sub, or resident engineer.
1859. Eclectic Rev., Ser. VI. V. 253. The Newspaper—day and night. By a Quondam ‘Sub.’
1863. P. Barry, Dockyard Econ., Pref. vi. The Editor lives in an atmosphere of care. His assistant, or sub, begins the day at nine o’clock at night.
1872. ‘A. Merion,’ Odd Echoes Oxf., 38.
| Fear no more the snarl of the sub., | |
| Thou art past that tyrant’s stroke. |
1873. Leland, Egypt. Sketch-Bk., 44. The two great men who filled our carriage were a couple of Levantine railroad subs.
1898. Kipling, Fleet in Being, ii. The Sub wipes the cinders out of his left eye and says something.
2. = SUBALTERN sb. 2.
1756. Washington, Writ. (1889), I. 293. Leaving Garrisons in them from 15 to 30 men under command of a sub or Trusty Sergeant.
1812. Sporting Mag., XXXIX. 245. A Sub’ of Dragoons.
1865. Lever, Luttrell, xxxvi. 262. Some hard-up Sub who can’t pay his mess debts.
3. = SUBSALT. rare.
1807. T. Thomson, Chem. (ed. 3), II. 519. Besides the triple salts and the subs and the supers.
4. = SUBSTITUTE; U.S. esp. of substitute printers.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., IV. iv. The agent … proposed that I should become sub for him there.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2433/2. Sub (Well-boring), a short name for substitute. A short section of rod for connecting tools or bars of different sizes.
1895. Funk’s Stand. Dict., Sub-list, a list of the subs or substitute printers who are allowed to supply the places of regular compositors.
1896. Bootle Times, 18 Jan., 3/2. North End were short of two of their regular players,… but managed to find good subs in Davies and Reed.
1896. Indianapolis Typogr. Jrnl., 16 Nov., 407. Every one of these subs is working part of the time.
5. = SUBJECT. Common in U.S.
1838. Becket, Parad. Lost, 8 (F. & H.). No longer was he heard to sing, Like loyal subs, ‘God Save the King.’
1885. N. Y. Merc., May (in Ware, Passing English). The Mercury will be pleased to hear from Mrs. Williams on this sub.
6. = SUBSCRIBER (rare), SUBSCRIPTION.
1838. Hood, Clubs, 62. Indeed my daughters both declare Their Beaux shall not be subs. To White’s, or Blacks.
1903. Farmer & Henley, Slang, Sub … (3) a subscription.
1912. Daily News, 12 Nov., 6. He lets the party have an annual ‘sub.’ … of £10,000.
7. = SUBSIST (money): money in advance on account of wages due at the end of a certain period. Also gen., an advance of money. local.
Cf. Cornish dial. sist (money).
1866. Min. Evid. Totnes Bribery Comm., 72/2. I do not think there was much money flying about before that, my bills were not paid; I was rather anxious about having my sub. Ibid. Tell us the name of any voter who asked you about the sub.
1881. Placard at Bury (Lancs.), Wanted navvies, to work on the above Railway, good wages paid, and sub on the works daily.
1892. Labour Comm., Gloss. No. 9. Sub, money paid to workmen at the Scotch blast-furnaces on account, as there exists a monthly pay-day.
1897. Barrère & Leland, Dict. Slang, s.v., To do a sub is to borrow money … (Anglo-Indian).
1901. Scotsman, 12 April, 9/5. Provided the men started to-morrow, each would receive a ‘sub’ or £1 on Saturday.
