abbreviation of L. suspendatur per collum ‘let him be hanged by the neck,’ in the entry of a capital sentence in the jailer’s books; an entry of this against a person’s name; hence as adj. = hanged.
1560. Staunford, Les Plees del Coron, III. xix. 182 b. Pour chescun felonie le iugement est quod suspendatur per collum. Quel in le rolle est enter briefement, s sus. per col.
1827. Southey, Lett. (1856), IV. 74. It seems he regards with great pride the sus-per-coll in his family tree.
1850. Thackeray, Pendennis, lxiii. Her pedigree with that lamentable note of sus. per coll. at the name of the last male of her line.
1875. Reynardson, Down the Road, 118. He grew more and more downcast, and one day … he was found ‘sus. per col.’ in his barn.
Hence Suspercollate v. (humorous nonce-wd.), to hang.
1864. Thackeray, D. Duval, i. (1869), 1. None of us Duvals have been suspercollated to my knowledge.
1905. Blackw. Mag., Aug., 283/2. Suspercollated placards describe the historical development of the pendent machines.
